The Los Angeles Lakers got off to a winning start coming off the NBA All-Star break, as the duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves led the Purple and Gold to a slim 125-122 win over their city rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, on Saturday.
With the Lakers up three with the ball, LeBron James threw a tough pass to Doncic that was intercepted by Clippers forward Nic Batum. But with a chance to tie the game, Batum’s three-point try missed, sealing the win for the Lakers.
“It’s great, finally, we got healthy, the whole team’s healthy, so we still got to find our potential,” Doncic said postgame.
Luka Doncic Explodes From Deep
Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic led the Lakers to the win with 38 points and 11 assists on eight 3s, as well as clutch buckets down the stretch.
Aside from Doncic, Marcus Smart served as the Lakers’ unlikely hero, scoring all 7 of his points in the fourth quarter, while Austin Reaves notched 29 points in his return to the starting lineup.
Despite James almost costing the game with his late turnover, The King still finished with a double-double of 13 points and 11 assists.
Clippers Stars Disappear in Final Minutes
Despite being down double digits early in the second half, the Clippers stayed within striking distance throughout the game thanks to the offense of Kawhi Leonard and newcomer Bennedict Mathurin.
However, Leonard eventually left the game with five minutes left due to ankle soreness, while Mathurin fouled out with less than two minutes remaining. Both players finished with a combined 57 points.
The Lakers will look to continue their hot streak when they face their historic rivals, the Boston Celtics, on Monday, while the Clippers look to return to winning ways on the same day against the Orlando Magic while awaiting the anticipated debut of Darius Garland.
