Here is what you need to know before the latest chapter of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry.
1) It takes a village
The Lakers ran into a wall early in Saturday’s marquee matchup against Houston, trailing for the entirety of the first half. But the team refused to fold.
With Anthony Davis out, LeBron James bared the superstar burden, dropping 31 points and 12 assists in a feat of half-court and fast-break playmaking. But even legends can’t do it on their own.
Kyle Kuzma (23 points), Danny Green (20) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (20) blended inside and outside scoring, while JaVale McGee spearheaded the defense.