It wasn’t perfect, and it certainly wasn’t easy, but the Lakers made just enough plays late to survive a furious Clippers push and walk away with a 125-122 win. Sure, they got a little help with Kawhi Leonard limping off the court and Bennedict Mathurin fouling out late, but they got the job done.
Despite being outrebounded by 10 and allowing 54.9% shooting, the Lakers controlled the game for 86% of the night and built a lead as large as 16. When the margin tightened in the final minutes, shot-making and composure carried them home. Here are five reasons why the Lakers were able to close it out.
1. Luka Doncic Took Over The Scoring Load
Luka Doncic delivered a superstar performance, pouring in 38 points on 11-25 shooting, including a blistering 8-14 from three-point range. He also went 8-11 at the line, grabbed 6 rebounds, and dished 11 assists for a dominant offensive showing.
Every time the Clippers threatened, Doncic responded with a tough jumper or a drive that collapsed the defense. His +6 plus-minus reflected how steady the Lakers were with him on the floor.
Most importantly, his three-point barrage created separation. In a three-point game, his eight triples were the ultimate difference-maker.
2. Austin Reaves Was The Perfect Complement
With 29 points off 15 attempts (4 threes), Austin Reaves was both aggressive and timely. Austin was also perfect from the line (7-7).
Austin played great off-ball to Luka and picked apart the defense when the floor was spaced (which was the case with Reaves as the defender rotated and the shot was open to him). Reaves was the best player when the ball swung to him.
With both team and individual shot-making, the defense could not collapse on Luka, and they had to guard Reaves independently.
3. The Lakers Won The Three-Point Battle
The Lakers shot a scorching 17-31 from three (54.8%) compared to the Clippers’ 8-21 (38.1%). That 27-point gap from beyond the arc offset Los Angeles losing the rebounding battle 42-32.
In addition to Doncic and Reaves, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia chipped in threes, and the Lakers consistently generated clean perimeter looks through ball movement (31 assists on 44 field goals).
The Clippers were highly efficient overall (54.9% from the field), but they simply didn’t generate enough volume or accuracy from deep to keep pace.
4. LeBron Controlled The Game Without Forcing It
LeBron James made 13 points but was significant on every part of the court. He added 11 assists and only had 3 turnovers, and he built the offense a few times at crucial times in the game.
He didn’t throw a bunch of shots up, but he was a facilitator; he was in the play for the most part, he ran the offense, he located cutters, and let Doncic and Reaves shoulder the scoring for their squad. The Lakers amassed 31 assists in a game, while L.A. (the Clippers) had 25 total assists for the game.
He did not just provide raw statistical points, but also his reasoning in this close-minded rivalry game, which was an absolute must.
5. Defensive Plays In Key Moments
The Clippers had 4 players with 13 or more points. Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points on 11-19 shooting, and Bennedict Mathurin scored 26 points off the bench.
As the game progressed, the Lakers made the necessary adjustments on the defensive side to force the Clippers into 16 turnovers and transition to take advantage of many of these turnovers, resulting in the Clippers not being able to fully take advantage of their interior possessions with their 58 points scored in the paint.
Although L.A. had a deficiency in rebounding and total shots taken in the game, timely defensive plays (8 steals in total), and control of the pace of the game allowed the Lakers to ultimately win the game.
