The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the L.A. Clippers on Thursday night, 112-104. The Clippers, led by head coach Tyronn Lue, have been on a tear as of late, winning 14 of their last 17 games, including their win over the Lakers. Early in the game, too, it looked as though the Clippers might run away with it.
They led 36-29 after one quarter and had a 64-47 advantage at the break. This Lakers team has been known to fold in situations like that, often letting the other team run away with it if they feel they don’t have any offensive or defensive momentum on a given night.
But on Thursday, the Lakers fought back a bit in the second half, making it a close game before ultimately losing by eight. It still goes as a loss for the Lakers and a win for the Clippers. However, it appeared as though Lue didn’t feel that way after the win, according to Grant Mona of The Sporting Tribune:
Ty Lue was frustrated walking into the press room.
When @TomerAzarly asked why, he said, “Because I wanted to blow them out.”
— Grant “Money” Mona (@Gmona48) January 23, 2026
There are several reasons why Lue might have wanted the Clippers to blow the Lakers out and be frustrated that they didn’t. The first is that the Clippers are on a roll, and giving up that kind of lead could show other teams how to take them down in the near future.
The second is that the Lakers and Clippers have developed a pretty intense rivalry over the past few years, and every game between them means more than it used to. The third, and most personal, is that the Lakers disrespected Lue during negotiations to become the team’s head coach.
All of these combine to Lue wanting the Clippers not to give the Lakers an inch when they play one another. Perhaps next time they face off, they won’t.
Luka Doncic reaches 4,000 assists in Lakers’ loss to Clippers
Lakers star Luka Doncic reached 4,000 assists for his career in the loss to the Clippers on Thursday night.
Doncic hit the mark with his fifth assist, finishing the evening with eight total. Luka had another strong performance against the Clippers, adding 32 points and 11 rebounds.
Luka reached this mark in his eighth season at age 26. LeBron James also reached the 4,000-assist mark in his age-26 eighth season.
