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.

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,

The Boston Celtics couldn't get the job done on the road Thursday night, and instead fell 117-96 to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Boston is now 7-5 in the month of January with the loss.

The game is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on TNT and truTV. Fans looking to watch this NBA game can do so for free by using DirecTV Stream, which offers a free trial or with SlingTV, which doesn’t offer a free trial but has promotional offers available.

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.

Get details on the date, time, venue, ticket prices, and more for the upcoming Los Angeles Clippers vs. Boston Celtics game.

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.

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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.

LOS ANGELES - 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.

Will we be seeing more of the young guard in the future? Was this the Celtics' way of pumping up his potential trade value?