NBA rivalries don’t get more epic than the one that renews whenever the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers cross paths, and the sparks are set to fly once more this weekend on the NBA on NBC, when the Celtics and Lakers face off on Sunday Night Basketball.
Back in regular season form after pausing for NBC Sports’ coverage of the recent NBA All-Star Game, Sunday Night Basketball returns in a big way this weekend when the historic east-west feud resumes between the two most winning franchises in NBA history. How can you catch all the action as the Celtics hit the road to face the Lakers? Keep on scrolling for the details!
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How to watch Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday Night Basketball (February 22)
Lebron James dribbling the ball during a game against the LA Clippers.
The Boston Celtics make the lengthy coast-to-coast trek to square off against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, February 22 in this week’s featured NBA matchup on Sunday Night Basketball. Tipoff time is set for 6:30 p.m. ET from the Lakers’ home court at Crypto.com Arena, with the game broadcast live on NBC and streaming in simulcast on Peacock.
The Celtics-Lakers rivalry goes hand in hand with NBA history, and no matter the decade, the storylines tend to write themselves anytime there’s a regular season meeting between these two squads. They’ve faced each other in the NBA finals a remarkable league-leading 12 times — and though Boston holds a 9-3 advantage in their overall championship series, Los Angeles holds the most recent bragging rights after besting the Celtics to claim the 2010 NBA title.
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Sunday’s game marks the second of two meetings between Boston and Los Angeles during the current regular season. With a 30-point outing from five-time NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown, the Celtics made the first effort look easy in a 126-105 home win back in December. But the Lakers were without four-time NBA MVP LeBron James and six-time NBA All-Star Luka Dončić for that game — and thanks to some much-needed rest and recovery during last week’s All-Star break, both teams look healthy and ready to rock at full power for their upcoming Sunday Night Basketball showdown.
Sunday’s Celtics-Lakers game arrives fresh on the heels of NBC Sports’ closing ceremony coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics (happening live February 22 on NBC and Peacock at 2:30 p.m. ET). Pregame coverage of the pro hoops action warms up at 6 p.m. ET Sunday with Basketball Night in America — the NBA on NBC’s weekly studio show led by Ahmed Fareed, alongside Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady.
NBA on NBC
The NBA is officially back on NBC and Peacock, with exclusive games every week across broadcast and streaming featuring some of the biggest stars in the game.
The action kicks off every week with Peacock NBA Monday, featuring exclusive games streaming only on Peacock. Then on Tuesday nights, check out NBC’s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, which features two marquee games in primetime. With Sunday Night Football wrapped up, the NBA has also taken over NBC’s weekends with Sunday Night Basketball, with a primetime showcase game every week to wrap up the weekend.
Check out the full schedule for every NBA game on NBC and Peacock this season right here.
From real-time stats and predictive fun to highlight clips and immersive angles, Peacock’s suite of NBA features puts you in control of how you watch the game:
Courtside Live: An interactive, mobile-first viewing experience with new camera feeds and immersive perspectives that bring you to center court. Available weekly for select games throughout the 2025-2026 season.
Peacock Performance View: Unlock a next-level broadcast with dynamic overlays showing playing insights, heat maps, scoring probabilities, and more.
Can’t Miss Highlights: Swipeable vertical highlights on the Peacock mobile app for quick recaps of clutch moments, momentum shifts, and standout plays, wherever you are.
Peacock ScoreCard: Turn every game into an interactive experience. Pick from a range of cards and watch as your predictions come true.
Catch Up With Key Plays: Instantly revisit the most pivotal game moments with a curated playlist you can access anytime below your player controls.
Sign up for Peacock now to make sure you’re not missing a second of the NBA action. You can also gift the experience!