The Boston Celtics lead the Los Angeles Lakers 39-17 at halftime in their NBA matchup on December 5, 2025, at TD Garden. Boston's hot start from beyond the arc has fueled the early dominance, while the Lakers are without LeBron James. The game tips off a busy Friday slate featuring the storied rivals.
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers renewed their classic rivalry on December 5, 2025, with tipoff at 7 p.m. ET from TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics entered the game with a 13-9 record, riding a three-game winning streak that included a 45-point blowout of the Wizards. The Lakers, at 16-5, had just beaten the Raptors but saw LeBron James end his 1,297-game double-figure scoring streak in that contest. James is sidelined for this matchup, leaving Austin Reaves to lead the Lakers' offense, where he is averaging nearly 29 points per game this season.
Boston started with Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jordan Walsh, and Neemias Queta in the lineup. The Lakers countered with Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton. The Celtics jumped out to a commanding 39-17 halftime lead, shooting 7-for-11 from three-point range. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each drained three triples in the first half, showcasing Boston's perimeter efficiency.
Pre-game odds listed the Celtics as 7.5-point favorites with an over/under of 228.5 points. A projection model simulated the game 10,000 times, leaning over with a predicted total of 235 points. It forecasted Reaves scoring 32 points for the Lakers, with Ayton, Hachimura, and LaRavia in double figures. For Boston, Brown, White, and Pritchard were each projected for over 17 points. The model indicated one side of the spread hitting in 60% of simulations.
The game is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, adding to a 12-game NBA slate that includes other notable matchups like Magic vs. Heat.