The Los Angeles Lakers took on the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night, looking to extend their winning streak to five games and get a leg up in the battle for the Emirates NBA Cup.
For most of the first three quarters, this game was very competitive, even though the Clippers came in with a dismal 5-12 record. After going up 69-66 at halftime, the Lakers went ahead 82-72 early in the third quarter, only to give up 11 unanswered points. But they started to flex late in the period and into the fourth quarter, allowing them to get some separation and glide to a 135-118 victory.
The Lakers took advantage of a weak Clippers defense to shoot 57.5% from the field and 44.8% from 3-point range, and they held a 38-29 edge on the boards and a 22-8 advantage in fast-break points. This victory catapulted them into the knockout round of the Emirates NBA Cup, as they now hold a 3-0 record in group play and have clinched West Group B.
Overall, the Lakers are now 13-4 and have moved into second place in the Western Conference.
Rui Hachimura: B
Hachimura has played well offensively this season and has been very efficient with his shooting, and Tuesday’s game was no exception. He made six of his nine shot attempts and one of his two 3-point attempts, giving him 13 points. He also had three rebounds in 31 minutes.
Jaxson Hayes: B
Hayes started at center in place of Deandre Ayton, who was unable to play due to a knee contusion he suffered in Sunday’s win over the Utah Jazz. Hayes scored eight points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, obtained four rebounds and added three assists, one steal and one block in 30 minutes. He also helped limit Ivica Zubac, who came into this game averaging 17 points a game on 62.1% field-goal shooting, to 10 points on 5-of-12 overall shooting.
Hayes was also involved in an incident late in the game in which he took one for the team. With 3:33 left in the fourth quarter, the Clippers’ Kris Dunn shoved the ball into Luka Doncic, and Hayes came over and shoved Dunn. Dunn then responded by taking a shot at Hayes. Dunn was assessed two technical fouls, leading to his ejection, while Hayes was given one technical foul.
A little bit later in the period, Doncic threw an alley-oop pass to Hayes, which Hayes dunked, as if to thank the big man for having his back.
Austin Reaves: A-plus
Reaves has struggled from 3-point range for much of this season to date, but in this game, he did a good job of consistently attacking off the dribble instead of settling for 3-point attempts. He made 11 of his 16 shot attempts, and when he did let it fly from distance, he was effective, as he went 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.
He scored 31 points, and he also contributed nine rebounds, three assists and three steals while committing just one turnover.
LeBron James: B-plus/A-minus
James continued to ramp things up in his third game back from sciatica. He scored a modest nine points in the first half, but he started to assert himself a little more afterward with six quick points early in the third quarter. Overall, he scored 25 points and made nine of his 15 shot attempts while also going 2-of-5 from downtown, to go along with six rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block while playing 32 minutes.
Luka Doncic: A-plus
Doncic almost single-handedly carried the Lakers’ offense in the first half. He had 24 points in the first quarter and went 6-of-10 from 3-point range in the first half, and afterward, he started to look to get his teammates open shots more often.
While Doncic was more of a facilitator than a scorer as the game wore on, he never really cooled down in terms of his shooting. He finished 14-of-28 from the field, 7-of-12 from 3-point land and 8-of-11 from the free throw line, giving him 43 points and his fifth 40-plus-point game of the young season. He also dished off 13 assists and missed a triple-double by one rebound while also coming up with one steal and one block.
Marcus Smart: B-minus
Smart hit three of his five shot attempts to score seven points, and he also had three rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 20 minutes. He spent time guarding James Harden, and while Harden scored 29 points, the future Hall of Famer shot 9-of-21 overall and 3-of-12 from downtown while committing five turnovers.
Jake LaRavia: D-plus/C-minus
This was another quiet game for LaRavia. The reserve forward took just two shot attempts, both of which he hit, and he finished with four points, one rebound and one steal.
Maxi Kleber: C
Kleber made one of his three shot attempts to score two points, and he also had three rebounds in 14 minutes. Like Hayes, he spent time guarding Zubac, and he helped contain the Clippers’ wide-bodied center with his physicality and overall effort.
Gabe Vincent: D-minus
In 18 minutes, Vincent missed both of his shot attempts and didn’t make any positive statistical contributions.
Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, Drew Timme: Incomplete
Thiero, Knecht, the younger James and Timme all came into the game with 1:12 left in the fourth quarter. Thiero, Knecht and the younger James went scoreless, while Timme, who was recently called up from the G League and signed to a two-way contract, got his first NBA basket with the Lakers off an assist from the younger James. Timme also had one steal.
