The little-used guard got the call when Boston couldn't stop the Clippers' guards. He delivered stout defense and more in an overtime win.

Boston will need to be vigilant that old habits vs. banged-up and lesser ball clubs don't make a winnable game into a struggle -- or worse, a loss.

You never know when you’re going to play,” Jayson Tatum said. “Game’s not going the way it’s supposed to or we expect. Joe calls your number to come and shut somebody down and give us a spark off the bench,

One night later, Boston players all but shrugged their shoulders after falling to the Lakers 117-96 on the second leg of a back-to-back. Kristaps Porziņģis, who has been critical of the Celtics after their worst games recently, sounded ready to dump the latest poor result into the nearest trash can and forget about it for good.

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.

The Boston Celtics head to crypto.com Arena to face the Los Angeles Lakers in a non-conference matchup. The Celtics are 30-13, which puts them in second place in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers are 23-18, which puts them in sixth place in the Western Conference.

On Wednesday night, he was sitting courtside at the Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Clippers game. To his right was Reggie Scott, the Rams’ VP of sports medicine and performance. They caught a good game at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, though the Celtics pulled out the win in overtime, 117-113.

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Playing without six of their top eight rotation players, Derrick Jones Jr., Kevin Porter Jr and Amir Coffey lead a gutty effort as the hosts push the reigning champs until the end in a 117-113

Boston’s starting five is finding cohesion, and its defense stifled Golden State. The Celtics’ ability to stay consistent will be tested against the Clippers, who sit fifth in the Western Conference standings and sport a 15-7 record at the Intuit Dome.

The Boston Celtics narrowly defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in overtime Wednesday night, grabbing a 117-114 road victory.