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While James was quick to squash the narrative that the Lakers' 117-96 win over the defending champion Celtics meant anything beyond a regular season victory in January, it's no secret that the Lakers have been on a heater as of late.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics on Thursday, with Bronny James getting some playing time. How many points did he score?

SportsLine's model just revealed its NBA picks and predictions for Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night

Anthony Davis scored 24 points, Austin Reaves added 23 and the Los Angeles Lakers cruised to a 117-96 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.

The Lakers and Celtics, of course, are longtime bitter rivals. The rivalry came to a head twice in Pierce's Hall of Fame career in the NBA Finals, with the Celtics capturing the title in 2008 and the Lakers defeating the Celtics in '10.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, center, shoots as Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis, left, and guard Derrick White defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) AP

The Los Angeles Lakers want to trade for a former Boston Celtics center, but so does another team with more assets to offer.

The duo broke down multiple players' comments, including Kristaps Porzingis' who had been arguably the Celtics' best player throughout the game. You can watch the full podcast episode by clicking on the embedded link above.

Amen Thompson drove for the game-winner with 1.3 seconds left to lift the Houston Rockets to a gritty 114-112 victory over the NBA champion Boston Celtics on Monday.After four more lead changes, the Celtics had tied it 112-112 on Tatum's layup with 5.