Lakers, Clippers have gone different directions since last meeting
The Clippers are no longer an upstart and the Lakers are no longer among the NBA’s elite, all of which makes Thursday night’s crosstown showdown at the Intuit Dome just another midseason game. It’s a contest that still carries importance for both teams but has little to do with any sort of rivalry.
For the Clippers (19-24), the game is a chance to get back to winning after being blown out by the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday in the second game of a road back-to-back that ended a six-game winning streak. It was only their third loss in 31 days, the fewest in the NBA over that time.
The Clippers came into that game having won 13 of their past 15 games, including a rough one against the Washington Wizards on Monday.
“It wasn’t our prettiest game, but just finding ways to win,” Coach Tyronn Lue said after they held off the Wizards, 110-106.
Now the Clippers are home for two games this week and hoping to get Kawhi Leonard back in the lineup. The star forward had been having a career year, averaging 28.2 points per game, before missing the past three because of a left knee contusion. He was sent home for treatment and expected to be re-evaluated when the team returned.
For the Lakers (26-16), the game is just another stop on their eight-game Grammy trip, a quick return to L.A. before heading to Dallas to face the Mavericks. The trip started with Tuesday’s comeback win against the depleted Denver Nuggets.
Lakers star Luka Doncic said it’s important the team maintains its focus. The Lakers’ play recently has been uneven, winning three games then losing one. Win two games, then lose three. They have lost five of their past eight.
“I never been a part of a road trip that’s eight games, but it’s definitely very important to get the first one,” he said about posting a triple-double in their win in Denver. “It’s never easy to play here. And the way we stayed together the whole game was impressive. And I think that builds us up.”
And that started and ended with Doncic. After scoring 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting in the first quarter, he began looking for his teammates and had four assists in the third, continuing that trend in the fourth.
He scored or assisted on 11 consecutive points and finished with 38 points,13 rebounds and 10 assists against the Nuggets, surpassing 14,000 career points. It was his 52nd career 30-point triple-double, passing Denver star Nikola Jokic for second place all time in such games. Jokic was among several Nuggets rotation players who sat out Tuesday’s game.
Despite the circumstances, the Lakers have maintained their dominance in the crosstown series, 157-88. The Clippers, though, managed to take away the spotlight from the 2019-20 season through 2022-23. The Clippers beat the Lakers 11 of 13 times during that stretch.
The Lakers regained their advantage with a 7-3 record in the past two-plus seasons. The teams have split their first two games this season.
The Lakers won, 135-118, on Nov. 25 at Crypto.com Arena, while the Clippers evened the season series with a 103-88 victory on Dec. 20 at the Intuit Dome.
LAKERS AT CLIPPERS
When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood
TV/Radio: Prime Video, 710 AM, 980 AM, 570 AM