FSM Essential Recap: Lakers vs Clippers - Game 80 - 2023

FSM Essential Recap: Lakers vs Clippers – Game 80 – 2023

Franchise Sports Media

Los Angeles Lakers (41-39) | Los Angeles Clippers (42-38)

 

The Los Angeles Lakers snapped their four-game winning streak after losing to the Los Angeles Clippers 125-118.

The Lakers vs Clippers played at the Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Los Angeles Clippers for the 11th straight time. They dropped to 41-39 and remain the seventh seed in the West, though they do own the tiebreaker over the New Orleans Pelicans. 

LeBron James had a slow start to this game scoring just three points in the first half. However, he turned things around when he totaled 30 of his 33 points (13-of-20 FGs, 4-of-6 3s) in the second half, along with tallying eight rebounds and seven assists. 

“It’s tough. It’s one of the toughest games we’ve had this year,” James said on ending a five-game road trip with a back-to-back. “This was one of those scheduling conflicts in the season. And it definitely got the best of us tonight.”

This was the second time that James had scored 30-plus points in a half this season. James played 35 minutes in this one after playing 38 minutes in their previous game. It was his first back-to-back since returning from the foot injury.

LeBron James’ efforts weren’t enough

Anthony Davis had a mediocre performance for his standards, putting up 17 points (7-of-14 FGs), 11 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. 

The start of the Lakers vs Clippers first half. 

“I’ve been better, but I’ll be fine,” Davis said of how he came through his first back-to-back since missing five and a half weeks with a foot injury.

Austin Reaves continued his hot streak with 20 points (6-of-11 FGs, 3-for-6 3s, 5-for-5 FTs) and four rebounds. D’Angelo Russell chipped in 15 points (6-of-13 FGs, 2-for-6 3s), three rebounds, and seven assists.

With postseason seeding on the line, the Lakers were at full strength for the first time against the Clippers, with James, Davis, Russell, and Mo Bamba all available.

“They want to put it on the line,” Darvin Ham said of James and Davis, who decided to play.

For what it’s worth, there were no pre-tip-off interactions between Russell Westbrook and any of his former Laker teammates. The Lakers ignored Westbrook beyond the 3-point arc, but he burned them, making his first two 3-point attempts, leading to a 15-3 start by the Clippers. 

“Our game plan was for him to shoot the ball,” Davis said of Westbrook. “And he made them. He made the shots.”

Westbrook shot 41.7 percent overall and 29.6 percent from 3 for the Lakers in 52 games this year, and 48.4 percent overall and 32.3 percent from 3 for the Clippers in 18 games.

The end of the Lakers vs Clippers first half. 

The Lake Show appeared sluggish and out of rhythm. They landed at 3 a.m. from Utah the previous night and played like it. All the while, the Clippers were sharper and more aggressive, with a lot more energy. 

The start of the Lakers vs Clippers second half. 

The Lakers rallied from being down 12 to take a short lead but gave up the sixth and seventh 3s of the quarter to the Clippers and found themselves down 37-31. The Lakers didn’t have legs. Defensively (they’ve been near the top of the league since the trade deadline), they haven’t been themselves.

The Clippers closed the first half on an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 19. The Lakers that played heavy minutes last game – James, Davis, Reaves, and Dennis Schroder – all looked gassed. James eventually found his legs, and he had the first 10 Laker points of the third quarter.

Norman Powell hurt the Lake Show with Davis on the bench, as he did in the first half. Powell finished the game with 27 points (8-of-15 FGs, 1-for-4 3s, 10-of-10 FTs), four assists, and two steals off the bench.

Two key Clipper reserves, Bones Hyland and Terance Mann, hit the 13th and 14th 3s of the game for the Clippers after the Lakers held the former to 1-of-8 3s in the third, and the deficit was quickly back up to 17. Hyland and Mann finished the game with a combined 24 points.

Kawhi Leonard played 43 minutes and totaled 25 points (9-of-17 FGs, 4-for-7 3s), seven rebounds, and four assists. The Clippers are now the fifth seed in the west, currently slated to play the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The Lakers host the Suns on Friday. They are 1-2 vs. the Suns this season.

The final score of the Lakers vs Clippers was 125-118, Clippers. 

The Lakers now take on the Phoenix Suns Friday, April 7th, at 7:30 p.m. PST. The game is on NBA TV and Spectrum SportsNet.

 

– Jake Ideguchi-Furukawa – Franchise Sports Media

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