Doncic trade adds another layer to intense Celtics-Lakers rivalry

Doncic trade adds another layer to intense Celtics-Lakers rivalry originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

There’s no better rivalry in the NBA than the Boston Celtics versus the Los Angeles Lakers.

But unfortunately for basketball fans, this rivalry has lost a bit of its luster in recent seasons. That could change — and in a major way — Saturday night at TD Garden.

There are a couple of reasons why this matchup has the potential to revive the passionate rivalry.

The first? It’s been a while since both teams were legit championship contenders at the same time.

The Celtics are the defending champions and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 45-18 record. They are one of two teams that rank top-five in both offensive and defensive rating.

The Lakers are also playing great basketball right now. They had a 18-14 record in seventh place in the Western Conference standings back on Jan. 1. A month later, they were fifth in the West at 28-19. Fast forward to Saturday and the Lakers are all the way up to second place with a 40-21 record. Los Angeles has won eight games in a row and nine of its last 11. This team is red hot.

This weekend’s game will be the first Celtics-Lakers clash in which both teams are a top-two seed in the conference since LeBron James joined the Purple and Gold in 2018. The last time these teams played each other as top-two seeds in their respective conferences was Feb. 5, 2009, when the Lakers led the West and the Celtics were No. 2 in the East.

Another huge reason why this game could boost the rivalry is it will be Luka Doncic’s first matchup against the Celtics since he walked off the Garden court after losing Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Doncic put up good stats in the Finals, but his defense was atrocious and Jaylen Brown did a great job defending him, which helped the Celtics star earn series MVP. Doncic also cost the Mavericks in Game 3 when he fouled out late in a close matchup and constantly yelled at the referees.

Now Doncic is with the Lakers, and it still feels pretty weird to type out that sentence even though it’s been a little more than a month since the Earth-shattering trade that sent the superstar guard to Los Angeles.

Now, all of a sudden, the Lakers have a young superstar to build around in the post-LeBron James era. Doncic started to build a little rivalry with the Celtics during the Finals, and now that he’s leading the Lakers, there’s a chance for that process to go into hyperdrive.

But it’s not just about the long-term future. The Lakers are a very real threat to the Celtics’ crown in the short term.

The Lakers are 12-2 since the Doncic trade became official on Feb. 2, which is the third-best record in the league over that span. Since the trade, the Lakers rank top 10 in a ton of important stats. And perhaps most surprising has been their excellent defensive play. Despite losing an elite defensive big man in Anthony Davis as part of the Doncic trade, the Lakers have played great on that end of the floor.

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This is an important game for both teams. It always is, given the rivalry, even if one or both of the teams aren’t very good. But this one actually matters. It’s a chance for each team to make a huge statement in front of a nationally televised audience.

The Celtics can prove they’re still the team to beat, and that despite their somewhat lackluster home record (20-11), the Garden is still a very tough place for opponents to win. Boston also can draw motivation from the fact it lost the first meeting in Los Angeles back in January, and the last time the Lakers swept the season series came in the 2013-14 campaign.

For the Lakers, it’s a chance to prove they’re a legit contender and capable of beating an elite opponent in a hostile environment. Only two of the Lakers’ 12 wins since the Doncic trade are against a top-four team in either conference. If this Lakers turnaround is real, it has to include beating the Celtics.

There’s also plenty of star power in this matchup. James and Doncic are arguably the two most recognizable players in the sport. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are two of the best young stars in the game. Payton Pritchard is the leading candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White are stars in their own right.

The Celtics and Lakers meeting in the NBA Finals in June is a legit possibility right now. What might a best-of-seven series between these teams look like? We’ll get a preview Saturday night in Boston, and that’s just what this legendary rivalry needs.