Gonzalez gave another glimpse of a promising future as he had a career-high 14 points and five rebounds, shooting 6-for-7 from the field against Washington. The rookie will dish out some highlights, too, including a chase-down block on Cam Whitmore in the first quarter. Those are the types of plays where he just breathes life into the game.

Defense – Defense is always the key to winning games. The Celtics are now 19th with a defensive rating of 115.6. The Wizards are 30th with a defensive rating of 122.4. Although the Wizards have an offensive rating of 108.3 (28th), they can get hot at any time if they are not being defended.

"I think I’m way more calm, way more focused, and obviously slowed down a lot since my rookie year," he said. "I was a mess."

Los Angeles faces the Boston Celtics after Austin Reaves scored 44 points in the Lakers' 123-120 victory against the Toronto Raptors

Playing without Jaylen Brown for the first time this season, Derrick White, Jordan Walsh and the Celtics crushed the last-place Wizards 146-101. Next up: Friday night against the Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers (16-5) take on the Boston Celtics (13-9) Friday at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET (Prime Video). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NBA odds around the Lakers vs. Celtics odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum told NBA vets Marcus and Markieff Morris that he's feeling a lot stronger since his Achilles injury.

Forty-two points from Payton Pritchard and a Jaylen Brown triple-double powered the undermanned Celtics to a 117-115 win over the Cavaliers.

The veteran forward led the Celtics to a fantastic 123-117 win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. The one-time Finals MVP dazzled with a spectacular performance, putting Boston on his back and leaving Madison Square Garden with a thrilling victory.