Celtics End Lakers' win streak as LeBron James exits with injury

The Boston Celtics snapped the Los Angeles Lakers' eight-game winning streak with a 111-101 victory at TD Garden on Saturday night, in a matchup between two of the NBA's most storied franchises. The win was overshadowed by concern for LeBron James, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a groin strain.

Jayson Tatum delivered a dominant performance for Boston, scoring 40 points while adding 12 rebounds and eight assists. Jaylen Brown complemented Tatum's effort with 31 points as the Celtics' star duo proved too much for the Lakers to handle.

James, who recently became the first player in NBA history to reach 50,000 career points, was one assist shy of a triple-double before his early exit, finishing with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. The 40-year-old downplayed the severity of the injury after the game.

"Not much concern," James told reporters. "Day-to-day, look at it each day to see if it gets better and take the proper measurements and see what we need to do going forward." He added that the injury is not as serious as the partial left groin tear he suffered in 2018 that caused him to miss 17 consecutive games.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick expressed more caution, saying he was "concerned" about James' injury but had no additional updates.

The contest lived up to its billing as a classic rivalry game, featuring multiple momentum swings. After the Lakers opened with a 7-0 run, the first quarter ended tied at 33-33 following a Tatum three-pointer. The Celtics took a narrow 58-54 lead into halftime before breaking the game open with a devastating 19-2 run to start the third quarter.

Despite falling behind by 20 points entering the final period, the Lakers mounted a spirited comeback, cutting the deficit to seven points with a 16-2 run. Luka Doncic led the Lakers' charge with a team-high 34 points, but Tatum extinguished any hopes of a complete comeback by hitting a crucial three-pointer with just over two minutes remaining to extend Boston's lead to 105-95.

The victory improved Boston's record to 46 wins, while the Lakers dropped to 40-22. Both teams remain in second place in their respective conferences.

After the game, Tatum acknowledged the significance of the historic rivalry: "It's an honor, the history, tradition, all the legends that wore these uniforms, that competed in these battles. The NBA is a better place when the Lakers and Celtics are good."

Both teams return to action on Monday, with the Celtics hosting the Utah Jazz while the Lakers continue their four-game road trip against the Brooklyn Nets.