The All-Star break came at the perfect time for the Los Angeles Lakers as most of the roster has missed time due to injury during the 2025-26 season. With extra rest, the Lakers finally put their cleanest injury report to date out prior to their matchup against the L.A. Clippers.
Unlike the Lakers, the Clippers made multiple trades at the deadline. The Clippers shipped out James Harden and Ivica Zubac, leaving just Kawhi Leonard to star for the team. While the Clippers roster looks worse on paper, they’ve remained a competitive team that still can win on any given night so the Lakers couldn’t afford to let their guard down.
The Lakers took the upper hand in the first quarter behind an offensive explosion led by their “Big 3” but the Clippers hung around the rest of the way. The game got even closer in the second half, with the Lakers and Clippers trading the lead.
Both teams battled hard and the game itself came down to the final possession as the Lakers turned the basketball over, giving the Clippers a chance to send things to overtime. Fortunately, Nicolas Batum missed the game-tying 3-pointer and the Lakers escaped with a 125-122 victory.
Luka Doncic showed no physical setbacks in his first official game back with the Lakers as he enjoyed going up against a Clippers team he knows quite well at this point. Doncic was relentless from the opening tip, looking to score in the paint and from the outside. Doncic was particularly effective from beyond the arc as he hit several difficult attempts.
Doncic’s scoring outburst continued into the fourth as he relished going up against Kris Dunn. Overall, Luka finished with a game-high 38 points to go along with 11 assists, six rebounds and two steals.
Austin Reaves returned to the starting lineup after it was announced his minutes restriction was finally lifted and he responded with an efficient scoring night. The time off did Reaves well as he looked 100 percent on the floor, scoring and playing with his usual high effort on both sides of the basketball.
Reaves was excellent scoring the basketball, dropping 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting including 4-of-5 from the 3-point line. He also added six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers will honor former head coach Pat Riley with a statue ceremony prior to their game on Sunday against the Boston Celtics. They’ll then continue their home stand on Tuesday against the Orlando Magic.
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