Kyrie Irving acknowledged it will be tough for LeBron James to miss the playoffs after the Boston Celtics handed the Los Angeles Lakers a fifth straight loss on Saturday. Irving scored 30 points as the Celtics won for a third successive game on the road, their 120-107 triumph lifting them to a 41-26 record for the season as they sit in fifth position in the East. In contrast, the Lakers look set to miss out in the Western Conference.