Two elite teams in the association were at loggerheads tonight as the LA Clippers hosted the Boston Celtics at the Staples Center for an enticing matchup.The fixture was supposed to feature multiple All-Star candidates, but Paul George and Jaylen Brown were on the sidelines. As a result, the contest turned into a competition between two of the best frontcourt players in the association, as Kawhi Leonard and Jayson Tatum went mano o mano.The game went down to the wire as Lou Williams made big plays down the stretch. That said, it was Kemba Walker's night as he surged late in the game with a big bucket to give his side the advantage as the Boston Celtics were able to hold on for the victory. The biggest stat-line on the night was the size mismatch between the two sides as the LA Clippers dominated the glass but failed to convert it into a win.With George out, Luke Kennard got the green light to let it fly. He came out strong in the first half, dropping 13 points, which included three long-range treys. Meanwhile, Carsen Edwards had the hot hand for the Boston Celtics. He finished off proceedings with 16 points in 30 minutes from the floor.Twitter in a frenzy as Boston Celtics surge past LA ClippersKemba Walker of the Boston CelticsKawhi Leonard led the effort for the LA Clippers with a team-high 28-point performance. Jayson Tatum shined bright for the Boston Celtics with an impressive 34 points for his side's twelfth win of the season. Kemba Walker was the MVP of the game as he registered 24 points and made the big bucket late in the game that swayed momentum in the Celtics' favor.Let's check out how NBA fans on Twitter reacted to the Boston Celtics' showdown against the LA Clippers:Daniel Theis is the only Celtics player to appear in all 21 games this season. Impressive for a guy who just had knee surgery in late Oktober.— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) February 6, 2021#Celtics climbing back into it but it's gonna probably take a 40pt effort from Tatum to win this game. #Clippers— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) February 6, 2021Clippers have eaten up Kemba Walker and the Celtics inside the paint. 4 blocks around the rim between Serge, Zu, and T-Mann, but a lot of shots changed too.— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) February 6, 2021So happy the Celtics let Carsen Edwards have green light tonight. Awesome for me who didn’t play him in daily.— dc (@D_ColesJR) February 6, 2021I swear every time I watch the Celtics Kemba start 1-7— KD☔️ (@herecuzigisdown) February 6, 2021Laker fans tonight watching the Celtics vs Clippers:#LakeShow pic.twitter.com/SbJ7JPhyY7— David Portillo (@D_Portillo_0) February 6, 2021Marcus Smart definitely is missed on the Celtics ...— Ruvy (@RubyReign) February 6, 2021Lou Will pocket pass to Zubac for the SLAM!@LAClippers 82@celtics 89Through 3 quarters 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/7lGRaJ6Rnf— NBA (@NBA) February 6, 2021After trailing in the first half of the game, the Boston Celtics flipped the script in the third quarter as they surged past the LA Clippers 89-82. Jayson Tatum led the effort as his teammates rallied behind him to make their stand. The pressure was on Kawhi Leonard and his LA Clippers to make a comeback in the fourth. Ivica Zubac has 14 points on 7/7 FGs. Serge Ibaka has attempted only 6 shots for the game. LA has cut Celtics lead to 96-91 with 9:12 left in regulation.Both Celtics-Clippers games went into OT last year, and both were hella weird down the stretch. Enjoy the game lol— Law Murray 🌍 (@LawMurrayTheNU) February 6, 2021This team can’t hold a lead to save its life— Brandon Cyr (@CyrNavy92) February 6, 2021Me watching the Celtics and Clippers fight over table scraps: pic.twitter.com/vpbhCs9NHv— Dave Schilling (@dave_schilling) February 6, 2021back 🆙RT to vote for @KembaWalker #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/SIbH4EfpYH— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 6, 2021HUGE CULTURE WIN for a short handed Boston Celtics team! Btw Jayson Tatum was the Best player on the floor tonight. Just saying tho...— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 6, 2021Tristan Thompson has revitalized his Celtics career on this trip— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) February 6, 2021Idc who played and who didn’t. This is a big time win for the Celtics— Cousin Steez (@AndrewDoxy) February 6, 2021NBA action will continue as the LA Clippers face off against the Sacramento Kings in their next fixture. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics will take on the high-flying Phoenix Suns in their next outing.