Celtics Vs Lakers: Pritchard, Brown fuel 111-89 win in Los Angeles

The Celtics beat the Lakers 111-89 on Feb. 22, 2026, and the outcome reinforced Boston’s standing as a genuine title threat. The game — played at Crypto. com Arena in Los Angeles — was defined by Payton Pritchard’s 30-point outburst and a decisive late first-half run that pushed the margin to 60-50 at the break.

Celtics Vs Lakers: final score, venue and momentum swings

Boston’s 111-89 victory in Los Angeles snapped into focus during the closing minute of the second quarter, when the Celtics outscored the Lakers 8-3 to extend a five-point lead to 60-50. Payton Pritchard finished the half with a long three at the buzzer, and the run featured Pritchard attacking Austin Reaves in transition for a three-for-two chance, Jaylen Brown stopping a drive by Luka Dončić and Derrick White hitting a corner 3 after a Pritchard feed.

The Celtics suffocated the Lakers defensively for the final three quarters and turned what had been a star-studded, theater-like afternoon into a runaway by leaning on balance and execution.

Payton Pritchard’s outburst: sixth man, six 3s and a buzzer-beater

Pritchard, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, returned as Boston’s full-time sixth man and scored 30 points. He surpassed 20 points for the sixth time in his last seven outings and drilled a buzzer-beating long 3 to end the second quarter. He also hit a stepback 3 over Austin Reaves midway through the fourth and later turned toward Reggie Miller, who was announcing the game, and shouted; Pritchard did not reveal what he said.

At one point he canned what was described as his sixth 3-pointer in the game and, earlier, in the first half he may have nudged Jarred Vanderbilt before sinking a triple in front of the Celtics’ bench. With 3: 22 remaining he buried a stepback that pushed the lead to 22 points.

Bench role and rotation: why Pritchard coming off the bench mattered

Back on the second unit, Pritchard’s return to the sixth-man role was deliberate after the trade of Anfernee Simons; the roster needed another ballhandler and playmaker, and the shift helped balance the rotation. Pritchard has come off the bench in each of his recent games after starting earlier in the season, and he has said the starter-versus-sixth-man distinction does not bother him.

“At the end of the day, it’s about, do you play starter minutes, do you finish games?” Pritchard said. “So it’s just about, when you get in, what do you do with your minutes?”

Key plays and contributions from Brown, White and others

Jaylen Brown played a stabilizing role on both ends: he stopped a Dončić drive in the second-quarter sequence that led to White’s corner 3, and he rose to find Pritchard behind the arc on the buzzer shot. Coach Joe Mazzulla singled out the recognition and execution of Pritchard, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown for creating momentum heading into the second half.

Pritchard’s craftiness extended beyond shooting; three minutes into the fourth he shifted directions three times on a dribble, powered into Jake LaRavia’s chest, spun and hit a 15-foot fadeaway. With five minutes left he caught a pass near the rim; what happened after that is unclear in the provided context.

Pat Riley ceremony, Lakers’ motivation and Boston’s message

The game followed a Pat Riley statue dedication ceremony at Crypto. com Arena, a star-studded event that featured many Lakers greats. Riley, described as a longtime Celtics nemesis and now the 80-year-old president of the Heat, urged the Lakers crowd to “kick some ‘Boston [expletive]’” in his address.

LeBron James and Luka Dončić were among the Lakers who watched the pregame celebration, and that presence was meant to amplify motivation for Los Angeles. It did not change the outcome: Boston’s defense and the combined brilliance of Pritchard and the steadiness of Jaylen Brown left little for the Lakers to salvage.

Mazzulla’s takeaway and the quick turnaround to Phoenix

Coach Joe Mazzulla celebrated the win but warned it must translate quickly: “We have to find a way to do it at Phoenix, ” he said, noting a short turnaround. He cautioned that if the performance was an extrinsic reaction to the occasion it would be hard to make that intrinsic 48 hours later. He also introduced the phrase “brother-in-law game” to describe the polite early tone between the teams before Boston escalated the intensity.

The Celtics had dismantled the Warriors three nights earlier — with Stephen Curry absent — and their control of this matchup with a fully healthy Lakers roster underscored the point that Boston is positioning itself as a legitimate contender.