LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers’ hopes to win this season’s third battle of Los Angeles were clipped on Tuesday night.
The Lakers lost 127-116 to the Los Angeles Clippers at their shared home court of Crypto.com Arena. D’Angelo Russell led the Lakers with 27 points, closely followed by center Anthony Davis with 26 points. Without LeBron James—who was out with an ankle injury—the Lakers didn’t have enough shots fall and failed to put together enough defensive stops to halt the Clippers’ offense.
The loss brings the Lakers below .500 with a 22-23 record. The team remains in the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference standings, but now has the same record as the No. 10 Utah Jazz.
The Clippers shot 59.1% from the field compared to the Lakers’s 48.9% on the night, but the greatest difference lay in their shooting from behind the arc. The Clippers shot a stellar 51.9% from three compared to the Lakers’s 34.4%.
With trade rumors still swirling around Russell, Lakers fans might wonder if his hot streak is him making a case to stay in the purple in gold. Along with his 27 points, Russell added to his case by leading all Lakers with 10 assists and recording a chase-down block against Clippers guard James Harden in the fourth quarter.
Russell’s playmaking for Davis helped the Lakers stay close to the Clippers for most of the first half. However, an impressive 18 for 24 shooting run by the Clippers late in the second quarter gave the Clippers a 74-66 lead over the Lakers at halftime.
Active defense was a key part of the Lakers’ second half strategy. The Lakers outrebounded the Clippers 41-36 across the entire game, giving the Lakers 18 second chance points compared to just three for the Clippers. The Lakers also had nine steals compared to the Clippers’ eight and nine blocks against five blocks for the Clippers.
“We had a couple [defensive] breakdowns, but for the most part they made some tough, tough shots… our guys competed,” head coach Darvin Ham said to the media post-game. “They competed their butts off, but again with every mistake, if you close out the wrong way or if you’re not doubling in a timely fashion, [the Clippers are] going to make you pay.” The Clippers made the Lakers pay indeed. Forward Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 25 points on 11/16 shooting and Harden finished with 23 points and 50% from behind the arc.
Despite the Clippers’ impressive shooting night, the Lakers eventually shrunk the Clippers’ lead to within two points at the top of the fourth quarter. But from there, the Lakers’ shots would not fall. They shot 35% from the field in the fourth compared to the Clippers 44%.
“Myself, I got a lot of good looks tonight, just didn’t capitalize on them,” Lakers guard Austin Reaves said to the media after the game. “If I, we, make open shots the outcome could be different.”
The Lakers will have one day of rest and one more game against the Chicago Bulls before they embark on their six-game road trip that features the powerhouse Boston Celtics. James’ status for the next home game and that road trip are still in limbo, as he is listed as questionable for the Lakers’ game against the Bulls. Davis has also been newly added to the injury report, listed as questionable for Thursday’s game.
The Lakers next opponent are the Chicago Bulls, who they’ll face on Jan. 25 at Crypto.com Arena at 7:30 p.m.