El Segundo, Calif. — Drew Timme poured in 31 points and RJ Davis added 28 as the South Bay Lakers held off the San Diego Clippers in a 120-115 victory Wednesday night at UCLA Health Training Center.
South Bay came out firing, overwhelming San Diego with a 15-0 run in the opening minutes to jump out to a 17-2 lead. The Lakers continued to build momentum throughout the first quarter, extending the advantage to 30-9 with 3:46 remaining after back-to-back three-pointers from Davis. The sequence of the night came when guard Chris Manon rejected Patrick Baldwin Jr. at the rim, leading to Kylor Kelley throwing down a vicious dunk on the other end. South Bay closed the quarter firmly in control, holding a 36-19 advantage.
San Diego responded early in the second quarter with a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 10, fueled by a strong stretch from Baldwin Jr., who scored 11 points in the frame. Both teams found their offensive rhythm, combining for 71 points in a fast-paced and efficient quarter. South Bay kept pace with San Diego’s surge and went into halftime maintaining a 16-point lead.
The Clippers came out of the locker room with renewed urgency, opening the third quarter on a 16-2 run to pull within two at 73-71 midway through the period. San Diego tightened up defensively, limiting South Bay to 20 points in the quarter and holding the Lakers to 30% shooting from the field. Strong rebounding and improved perimeter defense gave the Clippers a legitimate chance to complete the comeback as they entered the fourth quarter trailing by five.
Edwin So – The Sporting Tribune
South Bay Lakers Guard RJ Davis (2) drives hard to the basket during a G-League basketball game between the South Bay Lakers and San Diego Clippers Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, Calif.
The final frame delivered end-to-end action. South Bay’s pace proved decisive early, as the Lakers opened the quarter on a 13-4 run, highlighted by Arthur Kaluma drilling a 27-foot jumper to push the lead to 104-90 with 9:19 remaining. San Diego answered quickly, rattling off nine straight points on three consecutive triples to pull back within striking distance.
With South Bay clinging to a three-point lead late, a crucial offensive rebound resulted in a foul on Jahmyl Telfort, sending Timme to the line. The two-way forward knocked down both free throws to extend the margin to two possessions and sealed the game. South Bay closed out the five-point win and improved to 4-0 at home in the regular season.
Despite all five of San Diego’s starters scoring double-digits and failing to gain the edge in field goal and three-point percentage, South Bay’s ability to force turnovers and deliver off the bench proved to be the key factors in a Lakers win. The free throw line proved to be an important detail in this contest, as South Bay hit 18-22 (82%) while San Diego only converted on 11-15 (73%) from the charity stripe.
A big lead early paired with momentum-shifting buckets late in the game paved the way for a South Bay victory on Wednesday.
– South Bay: Drew Timme (#11)- 31 PTS, 11 REB, 4 AST
– San Diego: Patrick Baldwin Jr. (#23)- 30 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST
Up Next: South Bay heads on the road for consecutive matchups against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in Edinburg, Texas.