The Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, was buzzing with anticipation on January 3, 2026, as the Los Angeles Clippers, riding a six-game winning streak, hosted the surging Boston Celtics. Both teams entered the contest with plenty to prove and momentum on their side—the Clippers had shaken off a rough start to the season with their longest winning run, while the Celtics, even without superstar Jayson Tatum, were showing the league why they remain a perennial threat.
Tip-off arrived at 10:30 p.m. ET, with NBA TV carrying the broadcast and fans across the country tuning in for what promised to be a high-octane showdown. The Clippers, slight favorites by 1.5 points, were looking to extend their home win streak to six and push further away from the bottom of the Pacific Division. The Celtics, meanwhile, were wrapping up their longest road trip of the season and aiming for their third consecutive victory away from home.
But by night’s end, it was the Celtics who stole the show—and then some. Boston erupted for a commanding 146-115 win, putting an emphatic stamp on their West Coast swing. The victory not only improved their road trip record to 4-1 but also bumped their overall mark to 22-12, cementing their hold on third place in the Eastern Conference and narrowing the gap with the second-place New York Knicks to just half a game.
The star of the night? None other than Jaylen Brown. With Jayson Tatum sidelined due to an Achilles injury, Brown took center stage and delivered a performance for the ages. He poured in 50 points, tying his career high and notching his second 50-point game as a pro. Brown’s scoring outburst was a masterclass in efficiency and aggression, as he attacked the rim, knocked down jumpers, and set the tone for a Celtics offense firing on all cylinders.
"It felt great to get into a rhythm early," Brown said in a postgame interview with Abby Chin. "My teammates kept finding me in great spots, and I just wanted to keep the pressure on. We knew they were hot at home, so we wanted to come out and match their energy." According to the stat sheet, Brown has now scored 30-plus points in 20 games this season—a testament to his consistency and growing leadership in Tatum’s absence.
Derrick White proved to be the perfect running mate, chipping in 29 points of his own. The pair combined for nearly 55% of Boston’s points, while Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons each added timely buckets to keep the pressure on Los Angeles. The Celtics’ offensive explosion was no fluke; they entered the game averaging 117 points per contest, and their 146-point outburst was their second-highest total of the season.
On the other side, the Clippers’ streak came to a screeching halt. Despite entering the game as one of the NBA’s hottest teams and boasting a five-game home win streak, Los Angeles simply couldn’t keep up with Boston’s relentless pace. Kawhi Leonard, who had averaged 40 points per game during the Clippers’ winning surge—including a 45-point night against the Utah Jazz just 24 hours earlier—was held in check by Boston’s swarming defense. Leonard finished with a respectable but subdued performance, while James Harden, who had been orchestrating the offense with 25.9 points and 7.9 assists per game, struggled to find his rhythm against the Celtics’ backcourt pressure.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was candid after the game. "Boston came out and punched us in the mouth early. We tried to respond, but they kept hitting shots, and we just didn’t have an answer tonight." The Clippers, who had been averaging 112.3 points per game (just 1.7 more than Boston typically allows), simply couldn’t match the visitors’ firepower. Their defense, which had been a strength during the streak, was picked apart by crisp ball movement and timely shooting.
Injuries played their part as well. The Clippers were without Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring) and Bradley Beal (hip, out for the season), thinning their rotation. The Celtics, of course, were missing Tatum, but their depth and adaptability shone through. Neemias Queta contributed valuable minutes in the paint, while the bench provided steady support to weather the Clippers’ occasional runs.
Boston’s dominance was evident across the stat sheet. The Celtics shot a blistering percentage from the field and out-rebounded the Clippers, controlling the tempo and rarely letting Los Angeles get comfortable. Jaylen Brown’s 50-point night was the headline, but the team effort—on both ends of the floor—was what truly set the tone.
The loss dropped the Clippers to 12-22, stalling their climb up the Pacific Division standings. While their recent surge has revived playoff hopes, this defeat was a reality check against one of the league’s best. Still, there’s no denying the progress Los Angeles has made; before this run, the Clippers were mired in a lengthy slump, and the emergence of Leonard and Harden as a dynamic duo has given the team new life. "We’ve got to learn from this one and get back to what’s been working for us," Leonard said postgame.
For Boston, the win capped a near-perfect road trip and set the stage for a crucial four-game homestand at TD Garden. With Tatum’s return still uncertain, the Celtics will continue to lean on Brown, White, and their supporting cast as they look to keep pace in a crowded Eastern Conference race. Their next challenge comes against the Chicago Bulls on Monday, January 5—a chance to build on their momentum and further solidify their playoff positioning.
As the dust settles at the Intuit Dome, the Celtics’ statement win echoes across the league. Jaylen Brown’s career night, Boston’s offensive fireworks, and the halting of the Clippers’ streak serve notice: the Celtics are for real, and even shorthanded, they’re a force to be reckoned with as the season barrels toward the All-Star break.
