Lakers vs. Celtics results, highlights: Jayson Tatum's MVP performance leads Boston past Los Angeles in chaotic overtime comeback

Kyle Irving

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Lakers vs. Celtics results, highlights: Jayson Tatum's MVP performance leads Boston past Los Angeles in chaotic overtime comeback image

Game of the Year candidate, anyone?

The NBA's best rivalry did not disappoint as the Celtics and Lakers delivered one of the best, most chaotic games of the 2022-23 season so far.

Boston looked like it was going to cruise to a victory when it led by 20 points in the third quarter, but Los Angeles didn't quit. The Lakers rattled off a 31-5 run to lead by as much as 12 points late in the fourth quarter before the Celtics snapped out of their funk.

Boston needed a game-tying shot in the final seconds from superstar forward Jayson Tatum to force overtime, then got the job done during the game's extra period to escape Los Angeles with a win.

If you missed any of the action, The Sporting News had you covered with live updates, highlights and more from a back-and-forth classic.

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Lakers vs. Celtics score

  1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q OT Final
Lakers 24 26 32 28 12 122
Celtics 37 28 23 22 8 118

Final: Celtics 122, Lakers 118 (OT)

12:44 a.m.: What a game. The Celtics led by as much as 20 points but a 31-5 Lakers lead found Boston trailing by as much as 12 points late in the fourth quarter. A late surge and clutch shot from Jayson Tatum sent the game into overtime, where the Celtics closed things out.

Tatum finished with 44 points, nine rebounds and six assists while Jaylen Brown had 25 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Anthony Davis was a monster for the Lakers, finishing with 37 points and 12 rebounds. LeBron James came up just shy of a triple-double, finishing with 33 points, nine boards and nine assists.

12:38 a.m.: The Lakers aren't done just yet. LeBron James got a quick layup and Russell Westbrook had a nice block and transition dunk. After Jaylen Brown missed both free throws, Los Angeles trails 122-118 with the ball with 12 seconds remaining.

12:36 a.m.: Jaylen Brown buried a 3-ball that just might put the game away. The Celtics lead 122-114 with under a minute to play. Timeout Lakers.

12:33 a.m.: The Celtics have taken the lead, up 117-14 with 2:27 remaining. Grant Williams buried a corner 3 to give them an edge, then Jaylen Brown hit a pair of free throws to extend the lead.

End of fourth quarter: Celtics 110, Lakers 110

12:28 a.m.: JAYSON TATUM. The Celtics' superstar buried a midrange turnaround over LeBron James to tie the game with 17 seconds remaining after Anthony Davis missed a pair of free throws. James missed a potential game-winning 3 on the other end, and the game is headed to overtime.

Tatum is up to 42 points on the night.

12:25 a.m.: We have a battle on our hands. Marcus Smart buried a clutch 3-pointer to cut the Lakers' lead to two. Los Angeles is up 110-108 with 39.7 seconds remaining.

12:22 a.m.: There's some tough shotmaking from the stars down the stretch here. Anthony Davis hit a tough fadeaway, then Jayson Tatum answered with a 3, then LeBron James answered with a midrange jumper. The Lakers lead 110-105 with 1:14 remaining.

12:17 a.m.: The Lakers have completely flipped this game on its head. After trailing by as much as 20 points, Los Angeles now leads 106-98 with 3:38 to play in the game. LeBron James has 11 points in the fourth quarter, but Russell Westbrook's energy has led the charge on the Lakers' comeback.

12:10 a.m.: Crypto.com Arena is getting rowdy as the Lakers lead 98-92 with 6:24 remaining in the game. Anthony Davis threw down a rocking alley-oop off of a dime from LeBron James, but Jayson Tatum countered with an and-one to halt Los Angeles' run.

Davis is up to 35 points on the night.

11:59 p.m.: The Lakers have taken the lead, up 92-88 with nine minutes remaining in the game. LeBron James got a tough layup to go, Russell Westbrook knocked down a 3 and hit a pair of free throws, then LeBron buried a 3 to give Los Angeles its biggest lead of the night.

The Lakers are amidst an 18-0 run.

End of third quarter: Celtics 88, Lakers 82

11:52 p.m.: Here come the Lakers. Los Angeles ended the quarter on a 16-4 run, cutting Boston's lead to just six points going into the final quarter. LeBron James got the crowd going with a windmill dunk on a breakaway, then Anthony Davis cleaned up James' miss in transition on the next possession. 

Davis is up to 31 points and nine rebounds, while James has 18 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Jayson Tatum is still pacing the Celtics with 30 points, while Jaylen Brown has added 20 points.

11:42 p.m.: The Lakers are hanging around, trailing 86-74 with 2:45 to play in the third. Anthony Davis is leading the charge with 27 points, but LeBron James is flirting with a triple-double with 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Russell Westbrook is bringing some energy off the bench, nabbing a nice chasedown block on Jaylen Brown to spark some life into Los Angeles.

11:33 p.m.: The Celtics have continued to have their way against the Lakers' defense. Boston has its biggest lead of the night, up by 20 points at 79-59 with 7:48 remaining in the third quarter. Jayson Tatum has a game-high 28 points, while Jaylen Brown has 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Halftime: Celtics 65, Lakers 50

11:08 p.m.: The Celtics take a 15-point lead into the half, up 65-50. Jayson Tatum has scored with ease, already tallying 24 points with three 3s. 3-point shooting continues to be the difference for Boston, knocking down 10 of its 23 attempts in the first half.

The Lakers are running their entire offense through Anthony Davis, going for 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. LeBron James has stuffed the stat sheet, doing a little bit of everything with 11 points, five assists and four rebounds.

10:57 p.m.: And just like that, the Celtics' lead is back up to 15. Boston responded to Los Angeles' run with an 8-0 run of their own, powered by a few easy buckets from Jaylen Brown. The All-Star guard is starting to get going, up to 11 points on the night.

10:49 p.m.: The Lakers are on a 13-5 run, closing in on the Celtics' lead. LeBron James scored six of those 13 points, including a signature "Akron Hammer" tomahawk dunk on the fast break following a steal. Boston remains in the lead, 52-45 with six minutes to play in the half.

10:45 p.m.: Jayson Tatum is on fire to start the second quarter. The superstar forward has knocked down a pair of 3s, up to 17 points on the night. He's shooting 6-for-11 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from long range. The Celtics lead 50-36 with 8:17 remaining in the half.

10:40 p.m.: The Lakers paid tribute to the late, great Bill Russell at the end of the first quarter.

End of first quarter: Celtics 37, Lakers 24

10:38 p.m.: The Celtics are in control through the first frame, leading the Lakers 37-24. Jayson Tatum leads the way with nine points, but Boston's 3-point shooting has been the difference early on. It is shooting 7-for-11 from long range, while Los Angeles has only made two 3s.

Anthony Davis has a game-high 13 points for the Lakers, proving to be too much for the Celtics' undersized frontcourt to handle.

10:26 p.m.: The Lakers are starting to utilize their size advantage, dominating the paint against a small Celtics frontcourt. Anthony Davis already has 10 points and five rebounds, but Boston remains in the lead, 21-15 with four minutes remaining in the quarter.

10:17 p.m.: The Celtics have come out firing, taking a 15-5 lead in the first four minutes of the game. They have five assists on six made field goals, led by two 3s from Derrick White and one 3 from Jayson Tatum.

Pregame

9:45 p.m.: The Lakers will start Dennis Schroder, Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

9:45 p.m.: The Celtics will start Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Blake Griffin.

4:00 p.m.: The Celtics say that Al Horford will remain out due to personal reasons. Although there were some hints about his potential return, Robert Williams will also remain out for this contest.

What channel is Celtics vs. Lakers on?

  • TV channel (national): TNT
  • Live stream: TNTdrama.com | Sling TV

Celtics vs. Lakers will be broadcast nationally on TNT.

Fans with a cable subscription can stream Celtics vs. Lakers on TNTdrama.com. If you've cut the cord, you can stream Tuesday's game between the Celtics and Lakers with a subscription to Sling TV.

Fans in the U.S. can watch the biggest games of the 2022-23 NBA season on Sling TV. Stream Sling Orange for $40/month to catch all regular season games on TNT, ESPN & ABC. For games on NBA TV, subscribe to Sling Orange & Sports Extra for $51/month. Local regional blackout restrictions apply.

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Celtics vs. Lakers start time

  • Date: Tuesday, Dec. 13
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. PT

Celtics vs. Lakers from Crypto.com Arena is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 13, which is 7 p.m. local time in Los Angeles.

Celtics schedule 2022-23

Here are Boston's next five games:

Date Opponent Time (ET) National TV
Dec. 13 at Lakers 10 p.m. TNT
Dec. 16 vs. Magic 7:30 p.m. —
Dec. 18 vs. Magic 3 p.m. —
Dec. 21 vs. Pacers 7:30 p.m. —
Dec. 23 vs. Timberwolves 7:30 p.m. —

Lakers schedule 2022-23

Here are Los Angeles' next five games:

Date Opponent Time (ET) National TV
Dec. 13 vs. Celtics 10 p.m. TNT
Dec. 16 vs. Nuggets 10 p.m. ESPN
Dec. 18 vs. Wizards 9:30 p.m. —
Dec. 19 at Suns 9 p.m. NBA TV
Dec. 21 at Kings 10 p.m. —

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.