Clippers Vs Lakers — Doncic’s 38 lifts Lakers to 125-122 win
In a tight clippers vs lakers matchup in Los Angeles on Friday night, Luka Doncic scored 38 points and the Lakers held off the Clippers 125-122 to split the four-game season series.
Final sequence decided a one-possession game
Derrick Jones Jr. scored on consecutive possessions to cut the gap to 123-120 with 46 seconds left, and Nicolas Batum then stole LeBron James’ pass in the final seconds but missed a tying 3-point attempt with 4 seconds remaining, leaving the final score 125-122.
Clippers Vs Lakers late surge and injuries
Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points before missing the final 5: 10 with an apparent ankle injury for the Clippers, who entered the game 27-29 and fell just short of getting back to. 500 after an earlier 6-21 start to the season; John Collins was helped off the court with 18 seconds left in the first half after he bloodied his face on a hard landing while trying to catch a long pass at the rim.
Doncic, Reaves and James combine in return from the break
Luka Doncic had 38 points and 11 assists, Austin Reaves added 29 points, and LeBron James had 13 points and 11 assists in the Lakers’ return from the All-Star break; the trio were able to play together for only the 11th time in the Lakers’ 55 games this season. Doncic returned from a four-game absence and a five-minute All-Star Game appearance because of a mildly strained hamstring, scored 17 points with four 3-pointers in the first quarter, finished with 12 points in the fourth and the Lakers made 16 of 17 shots in one stretch, even as James managed just two points in the second half.
Bench and role players swung momentum through the quarters
The game opened with Brook Lopez going on a personal 5-0 run for the Clippers while Austin Reaves scored the Lakers’ first five points and the Lakers at one point were shooting 80% from the field; LeBron added a quick seven points and at the 6: 18 mark the Lakers were up by three. Luka Dončić (spelled with a diacritic in some coverage) drained multiple 3-pointers in the first and the Lakers led by 12 at the end of the first.
Second-half runs and key quarter-by-quarter moments
Benedict Mathurin started the second period with a jump shot, Reaves converted on a jumper off the glass, Rui Hachimura hit a 3, and Kawhi Leonard scored eight in a span that left the Lakers up by 13 at one point (7: 35 mark) and up seven at halftime. Deandre Ayton had a dunk off an assist from Luka and John Collins answered with a triple; Leonard was noted at 13 for the half in one account and later described as having 21 by halftime in another. The Clippers were winning the second-chance points battle 14-2 at halftime. In the third, a Reaves 3 started a Lakers 10-2 run that created a 15-point lead before a Clippers 17-1 surge put them ahead by two; the Lakers answered with a Luka 3 and a Luke Kennard layup and went into the fourth up by four. Jarred Vanderbilt opened the final frame with a dunk, three foul calls early for the Lakers led to stoppages, the Clippers tied the game at the 9: 50 mark of the fourth, and Reaves drained a 3 to put the Lakers back in front. Bennedict Mathurin (spelled with two n’s in one account) had 26 points and seven rebounds in his second straight outstanding game for his new team before fouling out with 1: 49 to play; that same player was also noted to have dropped a career-high-tying 38 against Denver on Thursday in prior coverage.
What’s next
Unclear in the provided context what the Lakers’ or Clippers’ next scheduled game or exact next event is.
