The Los Angeles Lakers won their eighth straight game with a 113-109 victory over the New York Knicks on Thursday night.
LeBron James had 31 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists as Luka Doncic had 32 points with 12 assists and seven rebounds in another strong outing for the superstar duo.
It ended a six-game homestand for the Lakers and moved them to 40-21 overall on the year as they continue their impressive play.
The Lakers now begin a four-game road trip that includes matchups against the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets before returning home on March 16.
After the win over the Knicks, James had a confident message about the Saturday showdown against the Celtics, the defending NBA champions.
"It doesn't change, it's the same for us," James said when asked about the upcoming road trip. "Boston, defending champs, great team. Ready for that matchup."
The Lakers star also spoke about the other matchups.
"Lot of good teams on this road trip, so gotta put our best foot forward," James said in regards to the Nets, Bucks and Nuggets.
"Boston, defending champs... ready for that matchup."
LeBron looking ahead to Saturday's duel in Boston (8:30pm/et, ABC) as LAL seeks their 9th straight win pic.twitter.com/r04Lxs8BlC
— NBA (@NBA) March 7, 2025
The Lakers-Celtics is always discussed as one of the most storied rivalries, and things haven't changed in recent years. Per the Land of Basketball, the Celtics have 166 wins and the Lakers have 135 wins in a total of 301 games.
These two teams have played just once this season with the Lakers getting the 117-96 win on January 23 in Los Angeles. In that game, James had 20 points with 14 rebounds as Anthony Davis led the way for LA with 24 points and eight boards.
This time, the Lakers travel to Boston. On top of that, it's the first game the rivals will be playing against one another since Doncic was acquired.
In the 2024 NBA Finals, Doncic played against the Celtics as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, so the rivalry might have kicked up a notch.
The Lakers face the Celtics on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET at TD Garden with the game on ABC.
Related: NBA Makes Historic LeBron James Announcement Before Knicks-Lakers
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This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 6:24 AM.