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Lakers Handle Celtics 117-102, Split Rivalry For Season

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) — LeBron James scored 30 points, Russell Westbrook added 24 points and 11 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 117-102 on Tuesday night in the latest chapter of the NBA's most storied rivalry.

Anthony Davis had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Lakers, who produced one of their best recent performances in their fourth victory in six games overall. With James and Westbrook playing dominant floor games, Los Angeles made 56.5% of its shots in the first three quarters and throttled Jayson Tatum's supporting cast defensively.
Tatum dropped 34 points against the Lakers, however with Jaylen Brown out for the third straight game with a strained right hamstring, the Celtics laked a legitimate second scoring option with no Celtic scoring more than 13 points other than Tatum.

Boston Celtics v Los Angeles Lakers
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 07: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after his dunk during a 117-102 Lakers win over the Boston Celtics at Staples Center on December 07, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

After Tatum put on an offensive show, scoring 14 points in the first quarter, it was rather uneventful for the rest of the game. However, with James' 16 points keeping the Lakers close and after regaining the lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter, the Lakers only went down back once for the rest of the game. The Lakers sealed the deal in the third quarter as Westbrook scored 15 points to open the half.

The Lakers captured the victory in the 296th edition of the matchup between the two venerable franchises with a record 17 championships apiece and a record 12 NBA Finals meetings. Boston and Los Angeles split their season series 1-1 for the fifth straight campaign after the Celtics beat the Lakers last month behind Tatum's 37 points.

While he scored 21 points in the first matchup against his former team, Dennis Schroder struggled to get anything to fall from the field scoring 10 points on 1-6 shooting.

The Lakers improved to 13-12 on the season and will travel on the road to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec.19.

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