Luka Doncic had a blast in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 108-102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. Doncic was talking trash to the Clippers all night, and at one point in the first quarter, he even infiltrated their huddle, much to James Harden’s annoyance.
Luka getting in the Clippers huddle 😂 pic.twitter.com/tu65Xl1Ftw
— Missy 🏄♂️ (@missysinghsongs) March 3, 2025
Doncic and Harden did exchange words but then shared a laugh. It was all just some good fun, after all.
The Clippers weren’t having a lot of fun dealing with Doncic in that first quarter, though. The 26-year-old scored 12 points in the period as he had his way with the visitors early on. Doncic sank 3 three-pointers in total in that first quarter and had some hilarious advice for the Clippers coaches after hitting the last of them.
"YOU GOTTA STEP UP" -LUKA DONCIC TO THE CLIPPERS BENCH AFTER HIS 3RD STEP BACK 3 POINTER pic.twitter.com/1TGoPlVFdz
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) March 3, 2025
You do have to step up, or else the five-time All-Star will make you pay like he did there. After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated that Doncic would kill you if you played drop coverage. The Clippers should know that all too well by now, with all the battles they’ve had against him.
Doncic finished with 29 points (9-17 FG), six rebounds, nine assists, and two steals against the Clippers. A fair few of those points came against Harden, and he ruthlessly told the guard that he couldn’t guard him after an and-1.
“YOU CAN’T F***ING GUARD ME!”
– Luka to James Harden 👀 pic.twitter.com/2FPiHRbq3E
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) March 3, 2025
Well, to be fair to Harden, there isn’t really anyone in the NBA who can guard Doncic when he has it going. Even the very best defenders struggle to contain him, so you can’t be too hard on the Clippers’ guard for getting smoked.
What you can be hard on Harden for, though, is his poor play offensively. The 35-year-old finished with just 13 points (4-14 FG), two rebounds, eight assists, and two steals against the Lakers. The Clippers aren’t going to be winning too many games where he is this ineffective.
This was actually Harden’s second poor outing in succession against the Lakers. He had 18 points (5-22 FG), seven rebounds, nine assists, and three steals in the Clippers’ 106-102 loss to the Lakers on Friday.
These back-to-back defeats have dropped the Clippers to 32-28 this season. They have now lost five of their six games since the All-Star break and are at real risk of tumbling down the standings.
The Lakers, meanwhile, are an absolute roll. They are now on a six-game winning streak and have won 16 of their last 19 games. This latest win saw them improve to 38-21 this season and climb to second in the standings in the Western Conference.
The Lakers weren’t expected to win it all this season, despite acquiring Doncic, as they didn’t have even a good starting-caliber big man after trading away Anthony Davis. It was thought that it would prove to be their downfall, but they’re doing just fine.
You still wouldn’t consider the Lakers to be the title favorite, but they look set for a deep playoff run. They have two superstars in Doncic and LeBron James and have surrounded them with a quality supporting cast. They also have a pretty good head coach in Redick, who has silenced his doubters in some style.
The Lakers will be in action next against the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday at 10:30 PM ET. You certainly would fancy their chances of getting another win there.
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