Feb. 21, 2026, 7:09 p.m. PT
The greatest rivalry in NBA history will take center stage at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Boston Celtics on Sunday. It won’t quite be Magic Johnson versus Larry Bird, or the great battles the two franchises had in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but it should still be a showcase matchup.
While the Lakers are 34-21 and have won 10 of their last 15 games, the Celtics, despite not having Jayson Tatum all season due to a torn Achilles, have surprised just about everyone by forging a 36-19 record and surging into second place in the Eastern Conference. Boston has won seven of its last eight games, and with Tatum out, Jaylen Brown has been playing at almost an MVP level.
Just as they were on Friday in their win over the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers will be at full strength on Sunday. Bronny James and rookie forward Adou Thiero continue to be on assignment for the G League’s South Bay Lakers.
Los Angeles is in the midst of a home-heavy stretch of its schedule. Including Sunday’s game, nine of its next 14 games will be at Crypto.com Arena, and it will not travel east of the Mountain Time Zone until March 16, when it visits the Houston Rockets.
It previously lost to the Celtics by 21 points in December when it was without both LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
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