Los Angeles Lakers: 3 keys to beating the Clippers on Christmas Day
By Ethan Temkin
On a Christmas Day filled with basketball, let’s look at the marquee matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Clippers and the three keys to victory for the purple and gold.
The Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers already squared off once before on opening night, which resulted in a Clippers victory, so the Lakers will be eager to make up for that loss with a victory here.
The Clippers are undoubtedly one of the favorites to come out of the West; they have two of the best two-way players in the league in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, a strong coaching staff led by Doc Rivers, and one of the best benches in the league.
However, for as good as the Clippers have been this season, the Lakers have been right there with them, with the best one-two punch in the league in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, a top-five offense and defense, and the best record in the Western Conference.
On the injury front, the Clippers are going into this matchup at full strength, but unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the Lakers. LeBron James sat out Sunday night’s game against the Nuggets with what was reported to be a thoracic muscle strain. In addition, during the 128-104 loss, Anthony Davis appeared to hurt his knee and had limited mobility the rest of the way through.
If the Lakers are going to have any chance at beating this loaded Clippers team, we’re going to need to see these two take the court. But regardless of that, the game still needs to be played, and the Lakers will have to soldier on, regardless of who’s on the injury report.
With all of that in mind, let’s dive into the three keys to giving the Laker fans one of the best Christmas presents of all; a victory against the Clippers.