Boston has been inconsistent for weeks — a stark difference from last season’s joyride — but is still among the best defending NBA champions of this century.

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.

LOS ANGELES (AP) Anthony Davis scored 24 points, Austin Reaves added 23 and the ... Kristaps Porzingis led Boston with 22 points and Jaylen Brown added 17. Los Angeles, which has won two straight ...

Anthony Davis scored 24 points, Austin Reaves added 23 and the Los ... Kristaps Porzingis led Boston with 22 points and Jaylen Brown added 17. Los Angeles, which has won two straight after a ...

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. LeBron James had 20 points and 14 rebounds after being selected for the All-Star Game for the 21st consecutive season earlier in the day.

BOSTON — Kristaps Porzingis scored 26 of his season-high 34 points in the first half, and the Boston Celtics coasted to a 122-100 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.

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.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Jalen Brunson had 20 points and six assists for the Knicks, who scored 143 points for the second straight game and won their fourth straight. New York (31-16) won for the 16th time in its past 22 games.

Did the Lakers’ 117-96 victory on Thursday night provide an impetus lasting beyond one game, or was it an outlier against a team coming off an overtime game the night before?

The Los Angeles Lakers delivered a statement win over their historic arch-rivals, the Boston Celtics, solidifying their position in the playoff race. With a 117

Nikola Jokic had 35 points, 22 rebounds and a season-high 17 assists for his fifth straight triple-double, and the host Denver Nuggets held on to beat the Sacramento Kings 132-123 on Thursday night.

Anthony Davis recorded 24 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots to help the Los Angeles Lakers roll to an easy 117-96 victory over the visiting Boston Celtics on Thursday night.Austin Reav