BOSTON — The NBA Playoffs aren’t until April, yet Saturday night’s primetime showdown between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers had an undeniable playoff atmosphere. Celtics star Jaylen Brown felt it and fed off the energy of the TD Garden faithful to help Boston secure a 111-101 victory.

“It was a great atmosphere. Shout out to the Celtics fans,” Brown said in his postgame presser. “It felt like a playoff-type intensity. Obviously, the history between the Celtics and Lakers is prevalent. So, I feel like both sides came in and brought it from the jump.”

The Lakers certainly came to play, jumping out to a 14-6 lead less than five minutes into the first quarter. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla opted for a timeout following that opening run, and his guys answered by tying the game 33-33 at the end of the first frame.

“They started out the gate hitting shots,” Brown recalled. “We matched them, hit some shots.”

The Celtics were the ones who came out firing in the second half. They outscored the Lakers 29-13 in the third quarter and curbed a late push to claim a double-digit win over their hated rivals. Brown finished with 31 points, six rebounds, two assists, and perhaps the biggest shot of the contest.

Boston’s 22-point lead was cut to just four with 4:36 remaining in the fourth quarter and when the Celtics desperately needed a response, Brown drained a huge 3-pointer late in the shot clock.

“They closed it back late,” he admitted. “We were able to create some separation, but it was a great energy game. Today wasn’t one of those regular season, normal games where it’s whatever. Tonight was a good day for basketball.”

How did Brown and Jayson Tatum bring the energy against the Lakers?

Although the 2024 NBA Finals MVP is known for his shotmaking, his defense was the main attraction on Saturday evening. He recorded three steals all while guarding Lakers star Luka Doncic. This matchup was nothing new, as Brown enjoyed defending Doncic in the Finals when the talented scorer was still with the Dallas Mavericks.

Jaylen Brown with the ELITE defense on Luka Doncic for the steal, leading to the finish by Al Horford 🔥pic.twitter.com/gBDT0vbxc4

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 9, 2025

Fellow Celtics star Jayson Tatum loved witnessing Brown’s harassing defense and said his effort on that often underrated end of the floor boosted the team.

“Give JB a lot of credit,” Tatum praised. “He was locked in tonight, defensively. Just making it tough on Luka.”

Tatum looked locked in offensively, dropping a game-high 40 points. Boston’s dynamic duo combined for 71 points while Los Angeles’ potent pair of Doncic and 21-time All-Star LeBron James (who exited the fourth quarter early with a groin issue) combined for 56 points.

Although Tatum played a season-high 45 minutes, he knows beating L.A. in March is still a regular season accomplishment. However, like Brown, he understands the extra excitement that comes with a rivalry game against two of the best players in the NBA.

“It’s still the regular season,” Tatum stated. “They all count as one, but it’s special to be a part of this rivalry with the guys that we have on both sides. You want to be a part of moments like this. As a basketball fan, I’m certain they enjoyed it. It was just two really good teams going at it on both ends of the floor.”

After a high-energy outing with the Lakers, the Celtics will have a different kind of meeting with the Utah Jazz on Monday evening. Boston’s 46-18 record far exceeds the 15-49 Jazz, who are in last place in the Western Conference and preparing for the NBA Draft Lottery in May.

Meanwhile, the reigning champions are preparing for the playoffs, which means they’ll try to build some momentum heading into April. Beating the Jazz would give the C’s their fifth win in a row and a better shot at back-to-back 60-win seasons. They haven’t accomplished such a feat in 15 years, but every Celtic realizes that only back-to-back championships truly matter in Beantown.