The book of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry is one the length of the menu from The Cheesecake Factory, and there are just as many tasty moments in Boston-LA history as there are delicious dessert options. The Celtics and Lakers have won a combined 34 NBA Titles in the NBA's 77 seasons, and these two prestigious franchises continue to find ways to cross paths with a great deal of regularity, giving hoops fans chances to watch one iconic moment after another. Last year, the Celtics and Lakers went to overtime in both of their meetings, and in their first matchup, a showdown in LA, Jayson Tatum created a moment that not only will Celtics fans remember, but one Tatum himself claims is “a moment you live for.”

 

The Celtics prevailed in that mid-December game 122-118, and then just a month and a half later, they secured another four-point overtime win back in Boston. The jumper of LeBron contributed two of Jayson Tatum's game-high 44 points against the Lakers, and he followed that up with a 30-point game in Boston's late-January win.

Boston heads to LA to face their familiar foe on Christmas Day, in what will be their 37th and 50th Christmas Day games respectively. It will be the fifth time that these two franchises have met on Christmas Day, with the Lakers possessing a 3-1 edge over their bitter east coast rivals.

Since winning the NBA' inaugural In-Season Tournament, Los Angeles has lost five of six games, leading some to wonder if the rigors of the tournament had a negative impact on a Lakers squad that was playing so well prior. As for Boston, the Celtics currently own the best record in the NBA and the best odds to win the 2023-24 NBA Title.