The Los Angeles Lakers picked up an impressive victory over the LA Clippers on Sunday afternoon.
The Los Angeles Lakers faced their toughest test of the 2019-20 season this weekend. They were set to face arguably the two best teams in the NBA that don’t wear purple and gold in the Milwaukee Bucks and LA Clippers.
The Lakers passed the first test against reigning MVP Giannia Antetoukounmpo and the Bucks on Friday night, 113-103. Los Angeles was able to exact some revenge on Milwaukee, who had won on their homecourt earlier this season. This is a potential NBA Finals matchup and fans would love to see these two teams go at it in a playoff series for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis were great against the Bucks, combining for 67 points. Against the Clippers, the Lakers needed another star-studded performance and they got it.
By an almost identical score, the Lakers defeated their STAPLES Center co-tenants 112-103. James was dominant, scoring 28 points with nine assists, seven rebounds and two blocks. Most impressively, he turned the ball over only twice.
Davis scored a team-high 30 points to go along with eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. The Clippers didn’t really have an answer for either player, as they combined to go 19-of-22 from the foul line as well.
One of the biggest issues from the first two matchups, both of which were won by the Clippers, was where would the Lakers get scoring from beyond James and Davis. The Clippers have both Lou Williams and Montrezll Harrell off the bench who can score 20 points.
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People were hopeful that it would be Kyle Kuzma, but he has not consistently scored with efficiency this season. Kuzma had a positive impact on this game in other ways, as his hustle and rebounding helped get the win; he had a team-high 10 boards.
Instead, it was Avery Bradley who would provide the scoring punch. He poured in a season-high 24 points, knocking down 6-of-12 3-pointers. His scoring output was huge, as he, James and Davis combined for 82 of the team’s 112 points.
Defense was the name of the game tonight. It was a physical game that featured some chippiness and multiple technical foul calls. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers’ two big guns, shot the ball well, scoring 27 and 31 points respectively. Harrell scored 20 off the bench, with the next highest scorer being Reggie Jackson with eight.
This was a big win for the Lakers, who now know they can defeat the Clippers. Having that mental edge for a potential playoff series in May or June is extremely important.
The Lakers also proved they can hang with anyone, as there aren’t much tougher weekends than the one they faced this weekend. They came out of that weekend 2-0, riding a four-game winning streak with the all of a sudden dysfunctional Brooklyn Nets coming to town on Tuesday.