Lakers fall big to rival Clippers.
LOS ANGELES — In round three of the battle for Los Angeles, the Lakers fell big to the Clippers, 133–115, losing their 10th straight game to their hometown rival despite a 46-point night from LeBron James to drop their season record to 22–26.
“We want to win games,” said head coach Darvin Ham.
It was announced after the game that Anthony Davis will return for their next scheduled game against the San Antonio Spurs, barring any setbacks.
“Once we do our evaluations in the morning, the possibilities are limitless,” said Darvin Ham.
The likelihood is that Davis will have a minutes restriction in his return, a standard precaution used by NBA teams when a player returns from a long absence.
The Lakers will also see Rui Hachimura make his Lakers debut against the Spurs, who was acquired on Tuesday via trade for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks.
In a forgetful night that only had LeBron and two others score in double figures, it shows how depleted this Lakers roster is with three valuable role players (two starters) absent from their rotation.
LeBron finished with a game-high 46 points, knocking down a career-high nine threes on 64% (9-for-14) shooting from behind the arc, adding 8 rebounds and 7 assists in 32 minutes.
LeBron became the first player in league history to score 40 or more points against all 30 NBA teams.
Thomas Bryant and Russell Westbrook were the only Lakers to score in double-figures for L.A., with Westbrook scoring 17 points off the bench and Bryant scoring 15 points and adding 7 rebounds.
The Lakers' next matchup remains at home this Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs at 7:30 PM on Spectrum SportsNet.
