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Clippers handle Lakers easily, extending 11-game win streak vs. rivals

April 6, 2023

LOS ANGELES — There was nothing at stake when the Lakers and Clippers squared off Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena. Nothing, that is, but an improved playoff seeding, the likelihood of avoiding the NBA’s dreaded play-in tournament and a possible change in Hallway Series fortunes.

By night’s end, this L.A. hoops story was a familiar one, with the Clippers taking their 11th consecutive victory over the Lakers, a 125-118 decision that kept them ahead of their erstwhile rivals. Kahwi Leonard’s dunk midway through the fourth quarter provided an exclamation point for the Clippers.

It also gave the sixth-place Clippers a commanding 112-92 lead over the seventh-place Lakers, whose four-game winning streak would soon come to an end in what was a rather routine result.

For a time, it appeared the much-anticipated game between the teams would not live up to expectations, with the Clippers leading by as many as 24 points in the opening minutes of the third quarter and the Lakers looking sluggish after four straight road games and a late-night trip home from Salt Lake City on Tuesday.

The teams had played and played and played some more over the years, but it had been decades since they had played a meaningful game. In fact, the Clippers have dominated in recent seasons, despite the megawatt stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Lakers’ roster.

The mere presence of James and Davis in the Lakers’ starting lineup Wednesday underscored the significance of the game. It wasn’t really a must-win for either team, but a victory for either with only two regular-season games left sure couldn’t hurt their chances for higher seeding.

James scored 30 of his 33 points in the second half – finishing with eight rebounds, seven assists and six turnovers – as the Lakers attempted to rally from an early double-digit deficit. Davis had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Apart from a brief flurry midway through the third, they couldn’t get the Lakers where they needed to be and the streak continued.

Norman Powell led the Clippers with 27 points, Leonard had 25, and Russell Westbrook had 14 points in his first game against his former team. The Clippers, still playing without injured All-Star Paul George, trailed only once, at 26-25 late in the first quarter.

The Clippers were well rested, having been idle since losing to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. The Lakers were road-weary, having taken an overtime victory Tuesday over the Utah Jazz, the final game on their four-game trek around the nation.

Wednesday’s game was a homecoming of sorts for the Lakers, a home game for the Clippers. The teams entered a roiling cauldron at the Crypt with matching 41-38 overall records, including at home (20-20) and on the road (21-18), adding intrigue to a matchup that rarely delivered the goods.

The Clippers started with a laser focus; the Lakers did not. The Clippers jumped on the Lakers from the opening tip, building leads of 8-0 and 15-3 before Coach Darvin Ham had seen enough and called for a timeout 8:26 into the game. The Clippers started 6 for 9 from the field and the Lakers started 1 for 7.

Save for a brief run that gave the Lakers their only lead of the half, the Clippers dominated. Their shooting was sharper and so was their defense on James, in particular, and the Lakers in general, deflecting his passes and stripping him of the ball on several empty trips down the court.

James had only three points on 1-for-6 shooting in the half as the Lakers trailed 71-52 at halftime. Davis had six points on 3-for-6 shooting to go with seven rebounds. The rest of the Lakers’ offense went through D’Angelo Russell, who had 11 points, and Austin Reaves, who had 10.

It wasn’t a winning formula.

In the opening minutes, Westbrook seemed bound and determined to shred his former team, playing an active role in the Clippers’ fast start. He looked for his shots, of course, but he also was content to quarterback their offense with passes to open teammates. He didn’t force the action.

The only question by halftime was whether the Lakers could rally.

Or whether it was worth it.

The Lakers’ final two regular-season games are Friday night against the fourth-place Phoenix Suns and Sunday afternoon against the Jazz – both at home. The Clippers’ final two regular-season games are a home date Saturday afternoon with the Portland Trail Blazers and Sunday afternoon against the Suns in Phoenix.

More to come on this story.

Orange County Register

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Clippers handle Lakers easily, extending 11-game win streak vs. rivals

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