The Clippers host the Lakers at Intuit Dome, with NBA TV carrying the game.
This matchup looks lopsided on paper, and the standings scream it. The Clippers are 6-21 and sitting 14th in the Western Conference. The Lakers are 19-7 and sitting fourth in the West.
The vibes around both teams feel totally opposite, too. The Lakers just walked into Utah and won a 143-135 shootout behind Luka Doncic’s 45-point triple-double, with LeBron James adding 28 points and 10 assists.
The Clippers, meanwhile, just got dragged by the Thunder and coughed up 29 turnovers in a 122-101 loss.
Even with the injuries, the star names are loud. For the Clippers, James Harden has averaged 26.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 8.1 assists while shooting 44.0% from the field and 37.6% from three. Kawhi Leonard sits at 24.8 points and 5.8 rebounds on 48.9% from the field.
For the Lakers, Doncic has been a problem all season, putting up 35.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game. Even with the minutes management, LeBron still brings 18.6 points and 7.5 assists in his games played.
Injury Report
Clippers
Bradley Beal: Out (left hip fracture)
Derrick Jones Jr.: Out (right knee sprain)
Yanic Konan Niederhauser: Out (left knee soreness)
Chris Paul: Out (not with team)
Cam Christie: Questionable (right foot soreness)
Lakers
Deandre Ayton: Out (left elbow soreness)
Bronny James: Out (G League, on assignment)
Austin Reaves: Out (left calf strain)
Gabe Vincent: Out (low back soreness)
Rui Hachimura: Questionable (right groin soreness)
Why The Clippers Have The Advantage
The Clippers have one obvious advantage here, and it’s the only thing keeping this from feeling like a scheduled loss: the Lakers are missing multiple rotation guys, and the Clippers can attack those gaps right away.
Start with the Lakers being without Deandre Ayton and Austin Reaves. Ayton gave them 15.3 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting a ridiculous 71.0% from the field, and Reaves has quietly played like an All-Star this season at 27.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists on 50.3% from the field.
That’s not “nice role player production.” That’s a huge chunk of offense and structure missing in one night.
That’s where the Clippers can sell out on the main problem, Doncic, and try to live with everybody else. Harden and Kawhi can also hunt the weak defenders that step into Reaves’ minutes. The Lakers still have LeBron, but the Lakers don’t have the same comfort level when they can’t lean on Reaves as the second creator and bail-out guy.
The other “this could actually matter” angle is Ivica Zubac. He’s putting up 16.0 points and 11.5 rebounds on 60.8% from the field, and if the Lakers go small or play a thinner center rotation with Ayton out, Zubac can win the paint minutes by himself.
Also, the Clippers basically have to play desperately. They’ve lost five straight, and they sit 1-9 in their last 10. That’s not a “we’ll figure it out later” situation anymore. That’s a “play like your season depends on it” spot, especially at home.
Why The Lakers Have The Advantage
The Lakers have the advantage that matters most: they’re simply a way better team right now, and the standings back it up.
They’ve gone 7-3 in their last 10 with a two-game win streak. The Clippers are sitting 14th, and they’re on a five-game losing streak. That’s not “small sample noise.” That’s a months-long gap in level.
Then you get to the real separator, Luka Doncic. He just dropped a 45-point triple-double in Utah. When a guy plays like that, the whole game becomes “how many points do you have left after you survive Luka?”
The Lakers also win the scoring profile. They average 119.2 points per game, while the Clippers sit at 110.9. Even when the Lakers defend like they’re allergic to stops, they can still outscore you in chunks, especially when Doncic turns every possession into a layup, a foul, or an open three.
And the Clippers don’t feel stable enough to punish mistakes. They just committed 29 turnovers against the Thunder, and that’s the worst kind of preview before playing a team that can turn loose possessions into instant points.
If the Clippers cough it up again, the Lakers won’t need perfect execution. They’ll just run away with it.
The Lakers don’t need to “solve” the Clippers. They just need to play their game, keep Luka in control, and avoid gifting the Clippers confidence with sloppy giveaways.
Clippers vs. Lakers Prediction
I’m taking the Lakers. The Clippers can absolutely make this annoying for a half, especially if Zubac owns the glass and Harden gets downhill early.
But the Lakers have the best player in the matchup right now, they have the better record by a mile, and they’re the team that actually knows how to close.
Prediction: Lakers 125, Clippers 110
