The Los Angeles Lakers have picked up another win over the Los Angeles Clippers with a 108-102 triumph in the Cryptio.com Arena. The Lakers are coming off a 105-102 win over the Clippers on Friday, officially winning the season series against their neighbors and taking control of the No. 2 seed with a 38-21 record.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 29 points (9-17 FG), six rebounds, and nine assists, convincing fans he has finally adjusted to the team. LeBron James put up 17 points (6-17 FG) and nine assists, one point shy of scoring 50,000 NBA points (reg season + playoffs). Dalton Knecht contributed 19 points (7-10 FG) off the bench while Dorian Finney-Smith scored 11 points (4-9 FG). No other Lakers scored in double-digits.
Kawhi Leonard had a phenomenal 33 points (13-23 FG) and 10 rebounds in the loss. Kris Dunn put up 15 points (7-12 FG) while Bogdan Bogdanovic came off the bench for 12 points (4-16 FG). James Harden struggled with 13 points (4-14 FG) and eight assists while Ivica Zubac had a quiet 12 points (5-9 FG) and 10 rebounds.
Let’s take a deeper look at this contest and analyze the major takeaways.
Lakers Kept Their Scoring EfficientÂ
The Lakers were in danger in this game, blowing a 21-point advantage and making a clutch game against a dangerous Clippers squad. Without weapons like Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers had to ensure their offense was steady and maximizing its opportunities as they were created. Thankfully, that’s exactly what the Lakers did.
The team shot 38-77 (49.4 FG%) from the field while going 18-42 (42.9 3P%) from three. They shot 11 fewer shots than the Clippers primarily due to turnovers (16), but maximized their scoring opportunities whenever they created them. This was also because the Luka Doncic and LeBron James duo managed to create really great shots for teammates, especially with the Clippers employing double-teams against both.
The margin of error for LA is extremely slim right now, but coach JJ Redick has managed to get every ounce of production this roster is capable of. They are playing organized and hard, which is making their team chemistry look great despite the overhaul it went through in the last 30 days.
Perfect Defense For 7:35 Minutes
In what will be a signature spell of minutes if the Lakers go on to become a Finals team, the Lakers’ defense smothered the Clippers for seven-and-a-half minutes in the second quarter. After Kawhi Leonard scored to make the game 43-44, the Clippers didn’t score a single bucket for the last 7:35 minutes of the second quarter, ending the half with a 43-56 deficit.
This stretch saw the Clippers go 0-10 from the field, with Bogdan Bogdanovic contributing to five of those misses. The team also coughed up three turnovers in this stretch, getting completely annihilated by a Lakers defense anchored by Dorian Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt through this stretch. It was the peak of the stifling defense Redick has built over the last two months.
The Clippers shot 38-88 (43.2 FG%) from the field while going 12-39 (30.8 3P%) from three. The loss of Norman Powell early in the game to injury was a huge blow to the team’s offense, which was almost single-handedly carried by Kawhi for large stretches of the contest. They made a comeback, but that seven-and-a-half-minute spell was too much to overcome.
Battling Injury Scares
Both teams are coming out of this game with pretty worrying injury issues.
Norman Powell missed the Clippers’ Friday night loss to the Lakers due to injury and left in the first quarter of this game with a hamstring issue. The team was also without Derrick Jones Jr. and Ben Simmons, arguably the two best defensive options against a duo of LeBron and Luka.
The Lakers were already without Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and breakout backup guard Jordan Goodwin. They saw Luka Doncic exit this game in the first quarter and spend an extended time in the locker room after fans saw him allegedly pick up a hip injury. He returned to the court and led the Lakers to this win, but his concerning injury history this season will make this a point to monitor.
The Clippers will struggle if Powell misses significant time, and the Lakers can’t sustain a Doncic absence right now without Reaves or Hachimura available.
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