Over the last 11 seasons, the Los Angeles Clippers had owned the Los Angeles Lakers in head-to-head matchups. The former had defeated the latter in 39 of their last 46 games against each other, and Clippers fans were bragging that their team had taken over the Southland.
The two squads met again on Wednesday, and early on, it looked as if the Clippers’ recent dominance would continue.
The Lakers fell way behind early on a barrage of 3-point shots by the Clippers, who shot 5-of-9 from that distance and 16-of-23 overall in the first quarter. They fell behind by 19 late in the period before hitting back-to-back treys to end it. However, the team wasn’t able to gain any ground in the second quarter and ended the half down 13. Los Angeles contributed to its own problems by committing 12 turnovers in the first two periods.
But the Purple and Gold finally found their game late in the third quarter, going on a 21-7 run to end the period up by two. That run was fueled by some spirited defense, which helped supply them with easy baskets in transition and early offense. They then surged ahead by as many as nine in the final frame. However, the Clippers answered with a flurry to force overtime after they trailed by eight with less than two minutes remaining.
In overtime, the Lakers simply had more left in the tank, as they survived for a thrilling 130-125 win. They are 3-2, and perhaps this game will be looked back on as the one that started to get them going after a sluggish start.