The Lakers defeated the Clippers in a convincing win on Sunday for the first time this season.
Debate over which is the superior Los Angeles NBA team has dominated the league for much of this season. The Lakers currently hold the top overall seed in the West with the Clippers in second place.
A 112-103 Lakers win widened the gap between the two teams, though.
To no one’s surprise, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George led their teams in scoring. The two dominant duos each combined for 58 points (James scored 28, Davis scored 30, Leonard scored 27 and George scored 31).
The Clippers had won their past six games heading into the contest on Sunday. The Lakers had just knocked off the top team in the NBA on Friday in the Milwaukee Bucks and the reigning MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo and with the win over the Clippers, they defeated their two primary competitors for the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June.
It’s expected for the Lakers to lean on Davis and James for the bulk of their offense, but Avery Bradley delivered a surprise 24 points, thanks to six three-pointers. The Clippers hit just seven threes in the entire game and were held below 40% shooting from the field in the loss.
The Clippers are widely recognized as having one of the deepest teams in the league, and that showed with their bench contributing 37 points, led by Montrezl Harrell’s 20 points. The Lakers’ bench had just 25 points, but the production from the starters and Bradley’s hot shooting night was enough to down the Clippers. Lou Williams, who averages 18.8 points per game, had just seven in the contest.
The Clippers still lead the season series 2-1. The Lakers can ensure that the series is split even when the teams meet again on April 9, or the Clippers can take the season series.
Either way, a postseason matchup between the two LA teams is looking more and more likely.
Kyle's Sports Communication Blog 