Lakers Struggle Against Top Teams Despite “Big Three”

On February 23, the Los Angeles Lakers fell 89–111 at home to the Boston Celtics. Data from this season highlights a worrying trend: when facing elite opponents, the Lakers struggle, even with their “Big Three” intact.

In 12 games this season featuring their star trio, the Lakers have posted an 8–4 record. However, all four losses came against the league’s top-performing teams — the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, and Phoenix Suns — and all defeats were by double-digit margins.

The Celtics have been especially dominant. They completed a season sweep of the Lakers, winning both matchups with an average margin of 21.5 points — setting a new single-season mark for point differential between the two franchises.

Depth differences were stark. Boston’s bench contributed 45 points, led by Payton Pritchard’s 30-point explosion. In contrast, the Lakers’ bench managed only 25 points, with Kennard leading with 9.

With this loss, the Lakers’ two-game winning streak was snapped. Their record now stands at 34–22, dropping them to sixth in the Western Conference, while the Minnesota Timberwolves move up to fifth.