Lakers fall to Clippers for the first time this season
For the first time this season, the Lakers have dropped a game to the Clippers, beating them in two previous matchups, this time without LeBron James in the lineup, falling to their town rival 127–116 on Tuesday night.
The nine-point loss drops the Lakers’ record back under .500 at 22–23 as they sit in the 9th spot in the Western Conference.
With LeBron out of the rotation due to a left ankle peroneal tendinopathy, the Lakers' energy remained strong to start the game despite the absence of their 39-year-old star. The two L.A. teams exchanged buckets throughout the first quarter and part of the second before a strong run from the Clippers widened their margin before the half.
The Lakers gave up 42 points in the second quarter, resulting in a 77–64 deficit at halftime.
Despite strong runs and back-and-forth exchanges, getting it within four in the third quarter and two in the fourth quarter, the Lakers never retained their lead thanks to an efficient shooting performance from the Clippers.
The Clippers shot 51.9% (14-of-27) from three and 59.1% (52-of-88) overall from the field behind a 25-point triple-double outing from Kawhi Leonard.
The bulk of the Lakers' offensive production came from the hands of Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell, who combined for 53 points.
Davis finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Russell had a team-high 27 points and 10 assists.
The rest of the Lakers lineup, between Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Taurean Prince, combined for 34 points on 14-of-32 attempts.
Reaves struggled to find consistency on the floor, going 2-for-8 from three and 5-for-14 overall with 12 points.
Jarred Vanderbilt continued his strong production from the bench with 12 points, nine rebounds, and three steals in 25 minutes. Vanderbilt has scored 12 points in two of his last three games for L.A.
The Lakers next game remains at home at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday against the 21–24 Chicago Bulls at 7:30 p.m.
