With LeBron James sitting out on Tuesday due to a bad ankle, the Los Angeles Lakers were at a major disadvantage when they faced the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers had won 19 of their last 23 games and have been one of the NBA’s best offensive teams lately. Beating them, even with a healthy James, would’ve been a tall order.
Yet early on, it looked like the Purple and Gold at least had a chance. They competed well for most of the first quarter, but the Clippers calmly extended their lead to as many as 16 points in the second quarter, seemingly without breaking a sweat. After trailing by 13 at halftime, the Lakers tried chipping away at their deficit, and they came within two points with 7:32 left in the fourth quarter.
In the end, though, the Clippers were just too potent, and they pulled away for a 127-116 victory.
Interestingly, the Lakers outrebounded the Clippers by five and shot 10 more free throws. But while they shot 48.9% from the field, the Clippers clocked in at 59.1% in that category and 51.9% from 3-point range. The Lakers shot reasonably well from downtown for much of the game, but they went cool down the stretch and shot just 34.4% from that distance on the night.
This loss dropped the Lakers to 22-23, although they still lead the Clippers 2-1 in the season series. The final matchup of the regular season between these two squads will take place on Feb. 28.