Jaylen Brown had 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and the Boston Celtics swept the season series in the NBA’s most storied rivalry with a 111-89 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Boston leads the NBA in defensive efficiency over its last 10 games. Two unsung Celtics showed how they're doing it Tuesday in Phoenix.

The NBA spotlight shines bright tonight as the Boston Celtics take on the Denver Nuggets at 10:00 PM ET in a matchup that feels bigger than the regular season. Two championship contenders. Two star-studded rosters. One national-stage showdown.

Derrick White scored 22 points, Neemias Queta had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics used a big third quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 97-81.

Boston’s defense, Payton Pritchard’s shotmaking, and Nikola Vucevic’s interior presence controlled the game from start to finish. Hugo Gonzalez also had his moment against Luka Doncic in a matchup that felt symbolic.

Denver might face a Boston team without leading scorer Jaylen Brown, who sat out Tuesday night's 97-81 win at Phoenix with a right knee contusion. Brown is averaging 29.2 points and 7.0 rebounds a game this season and also has been crucial defensively. He is day-to-day because of the injury.

The Boston Celtics have had players suiting up in a total of 68 different jersey numbers (and have three others not part of any numerical series) since their founding at the dawn of the Basketball Association of America (BAA – the league that would become today's NBA), worn by well over 500 players in the course of Celtics history.

Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins doesn't think the Celtics need Jayson Tatum in order to win the 2026 NBA Finals.

LOS ANGELES — The Celtics are playing some of the best basketball in the NBA right now after pulling off their third straight win against the Lakers Sunday night in a 111-89 blowout victory. Boston has won eight of their last nine games overall with seven of those victories coming by double digits.