NBA G League roundup: Clippers’ domination of Lakers extends to G League
By Jason Reed
Not many legitimate role players come from the NBA G League but that is not the case with the Los Angeles Lakers. The South Bay Lakers have been the home for several talented Lakers, both currently on the roster as well as fan favorites who have left.
The outcome of the South Bay Lakers’ games do not matter in the grand scheme of things with the individual performances being the most important. That being said, it is nice to see South Bay succeed as it could be a sign of a fruitful future for Los Angeles.
Since our last update a week ago, the South Bay Lakers have played three games against three notable opponents, with two outcomes not going the team’s way.
NBA G League roundup: Clippers continue to dominate Lakers, even in the G League.
Wednesday, February 1: 113-109 loss vs Mexico City Capitanes
The South Bay Lakers went south of the border on Wednesday to take on the Mexico City Capitanes. The Capitanes are one of two G League teams to not be affiliated with an NBA club and are the first G League team to play outside of the United States.
Mexico City had three players score 20 or more points in the victory over South Bay, including former South Bay standout Mason Jones. Los Angeles traded Jones despite him being one of the best players on South Bay last season. He scored 21 points with four rebounds and four assists.
Saturday, February 4: 119-107 win vs G League Ignite
South Bay’s only win of the week came against the other G League team that is not affiliated with an NBA team, the G League Ignite. The Ignite were created as a place for NBA Draft prospects to play instead of college and they boast one of the top prospects in the entire sport.
Scoot Henderson is the consensus no. 2 prospect behind Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft (would be no. 1 in most other years). Henderson did not play much in this game, logging just seven minutes of action.
Summer League standout Cole Swider led the way for the Lakers, scoring a career-high 25 points in the win. Swider knocked down five of his 10 three-point attempts in the game.
Sunday, February 5: 123-122 loss vs Ontario Clippers
The Clippers have dominated the Lakers at the NBA level (winning 10 games in a row) and that domination extended to the G League on Sunday. Despite trailing by as many as 19 points in the third quarter, the Clippers were able to storm all the way back to defeat South Bay by one.
This snapped a losing streak for the Clippers and gave the team a 3-1 record over South Bay this season. South Bay will get a chance for revenge on Thursday morning as the two teams will square off again.