The Los Angeles Lakers were looking for their third straight win on Thursday night when they took on the L.A. Clippers at Intuit Dome.
The Clippers have been playing better basketball lately while the Lakers have struggled a bit, and that’s how this one played out as a late comeback attempt by the latter came up short in a 112-104 loss.
Jake LaRavia started out the night hot, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Lakers an early lead. Kawhi Leonard had a nice answer though as he was also feeling it from the jump.
As has been the case a lot recently, the Clippers were shooting 3s at a high clip in the first quarter. Luka Doncic was doing what he could to keep up, but the Lakers trailed 36-29 at the end of the first. Doncic found Rui Hachimura for a triple to beat the buzzer, keeping things within single digits.
LeBron James was in attack mode to start the second and was getting whatever he wanted inside. The Lakers’ defense continued to struggle, however, with Brook Lopez and Leonard hitting some outside and midrange shots and Ivica Zubac cleaning up inside.
The Lakers went ice cold from the field to end the half as their deficit steadily grew with a 9-0 Clippers run. The Lakers scored just seven points in the final seven minutes of the second quarter and went into the halftime locker room trailing 64-47.
Not much changed to start the third quarter as Leonard led an 8-2 run and the Lakers needed a quick timeout with their deficit ballooning to 26.
Things were a struggled for the Lakers offensively as they were missing numerous open shots while Ivica Zubac dominated the glass.
Doncic tried to get the Lakers going with some buckets and an alley-oop to Jaxson Hayes. After a steal and a dunk to end the third quarter by James, the Lakers were back within striking distance, trailing 86-72.
Hachimura continued the Lakers run into the fourth with a 3 and midrange jumper. James then had a driving layup and all of a sudden it was a single-digit game.
When Doncic returned, he hit a circus triple to cut the deficit down to two at 93-91, although James Harden had an immediate answer. That was the start of a 7-0 run by the Clippers, making a comeback attempt that much more challenging.
The Lakers continued to fight though as an 8-0 run got them back within four. A three-point play by James then made it a one-possession game, but a Zubac dunk put it on ice as the Lakers came up short.
What’s next for the Lakers…
The Lakers will continue their road trip on Saturday night when they travel to take on the Dallas Mavericks, which will be Doncic’s first time back at American Airlines Center against his former team this season.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
