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Amir Coffey of the LA Clippers goes for a dunk as LeBron James and Derrick Jones Jr. look on. Photo by Nicholai Roska for Tangent Zine
Facing their LA rivals for the first time in front of a full crowd of 17,927 at the Intuit Dome, the LA Clippers established control early through solid defensive pressure and steady effort, leading by as much as 26 points and ultimately securing a 116-102 victory over the LA Lakers.
Norman Powell maintained his all-star level play, topping the Clippers with 22 points. Both James Harden and Ivica Zubac contributed 21 points apiece. Zubac continues to be a strong force in the paint, grabbing 21 rebounds and outshining Lakers all-star Anthony Davis, who missed 9 out of his 14 shots.
Playing under a team-imposed minutes restriction that prevented him from playing in the fourth quarter, Kawhi Leonard made the most of his 24 minutes on the court. The Klaw scored 19 points on 13 attempts and reached a milestone by surpassing the 14,000-point mark. The game against the Lakers is likely his best performance since returning after missing 34 games this season due to right knee inflammation.
Clippers center Ivica Zubac shoots over the Lakers' Rui Hachimura as LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard look on. Photo by Nicholai Roska for Tangent Zine.
Lebron James scored 25 points and provided 11 assists for the Lakers, while Rui Hachimura contributed 19 points. In his comeback after sitting out a game due to plantar fasciitis, Anthony Davis recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Due to schedule adjustments caused by the LA wildfire, the Clippers are set to play five games this week. They will compete against the Chicago Bulls at the Intuit Dome on Monday, January 20, at 7:30 PST.
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