Telepeer

Clippers finally get to host the Lakers in their house

January 18, 2025

They were arena mates, connected by a 100-foot hallway and a not-so-subtle dislike for each other. One team had banners; the other covered them. One team had stars and most of the victories; the other had little more than wishes.

None of that mattered, however, when the teams played each other four times a year at Crytpo.com Arena in what affectionately became known as the “Hallway Series”, a nod to their unconventional shared space. No other team in the NBA shares an arena.

The dynamic, though, changed this season.

The Clippers moved to their own place, Intuit Dome, a state-of-the-art arena located 14.3 miles and a couple of freeways across town in Inglewood, bringing high-tech, a two-sided LED scoreboard and the fan-inspired Wall to the Clippers-Lakers series.

“I heard that place is sick,” Lakers guard Austin Reaves said. “I heard it’s really cool.”

Lakers star LeBron James took a more subdued view of playing at Intuit Dome for the first time.

“It will be just like going to any new arena,” James said. “The same as when Golden State moved from Oracle. It will be the same when anybody else had a new arena.”

The $2 billion arena might not make a difference to James, but it does add another element in the Clippers-Lakers rivalry, which stands at 153-86 in the Lakers’ favor and remains a must-see game on their schedules.

Neither team is likely to contend for the NBA championship this season, although both are expected to secure a playoff spot. The Lakers (22-17) and Clippers (23-17) are among a handful of teams in the Western Conference fighting to stay on the plus side of .500.

With that said, bragging rights are still a thing.

In the early years, the Lakers dominated the series, which began when the Clippers were in San Diego and Buffalo before that. Little changed when the Clippers moved north and settled into the old Los Angeles Sports Arena, carrying with them a record of just 20 victories in the first 62 games against the Lakers.

The series moved to Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) for the 1999-2000 season and the first of three Lakers NBA championships. Meanwhile, the Clippers failed to gain ground in their head-to-head series until the arrival of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in 2011. Suddenly the series became a rivalry.

With “Lob City” at the forefront, the Clippers swept the Lakers in 2012-13 and won 14 of their next 16 games against their arena mates. Although the Lakers still held a commanding 145-67 advantage in their head-to-head record, the Clippers showed they were no longer content to be the Lakers’ doormat.

Faces and coaches changed over the next two seasons, leading to rebuilding years for both teams. Then in 2018, LeBron James joined the Lakers and Kawhi Leonard signed with the Clippers the following season, bringing a high-level of star power to both sides of the rivalry.

Yet, despite the presence of James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers couldn’t beat the Clippers, losing 13 of the next 15 games they played, including 11 in a row. Then the series turned.

Last season, the Lakers took three of the four games despite a healthy Leonard. This season, Leonard is still ramping up his minutes after missing the first 34 games of the season.

But that doesn’t mean much to Reaves, pointing out the Clippers still have the league’s third-rated defense and their two-headed scoring leaders – Norman Powell and James Harden, who combined are averaging 22.5 points.

“That is the engine of their offense,” Reaves said. “Norman Powell, honestly, is playing at All-Star level, shooting the ball very well, averaging 24 (points) So, they’re a really good team. We just have to go in there prepared.”

Because anything can happen in a rivalry.

“So, I’m just excited for the opportunity to go compete,” Reaves said.

Staff writer Khobi Price added to this report.

Orange County Register

News Details

Clippers finally get to host the Lakers in their house

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

News

CONTACT INFO

QUICK LINKS

SERVICES

CURRENT NEWS