Returning from the All-Star break with Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves in the starting lineup for the first time since Christmas Day, the Los Angeles Lakers offense was impressive in a 125-122 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
Dončić led the way with 38 points, 11 assists and six rebounds. Reaves, who returned to the starting lineup after coming off the bench for the past six games, dropped 29 points in 33 minutes.
James struggled to find his shot with 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting, but he put up 11 assists in the win. He now has double-digit assists in five consecutive games, his longest such streak since the 2019-20 season.
Fans and analysts were quick to shower praise upon the Lakers’ duo or Dončić and Reaves for their offensive dominance in another win that kept them right on the heels of the Houston Rockets for the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference.
The defensive issues that have plagued the Lakers all season remained prevalent in this game. Kawhi Leonard had a field day against them with 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting in 31 minutes.
Bennedict Mathurin is acclimating himself nicely with the Clippers since being acquired from the Indiana Pacers. He put up 26 on Friday night after dropping 38 against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
Despite the best efforts from Leonard and Mathurin, though, the Lakers proved to be too much in this game. Dončić took over in the fourth quarter with 12 points, including 10 in the final three minutes.
The Lakers (34-21) have now won five of their last seven games. They have two more games remaining on this eight-game homestand, starting with a marquee matchup on Sunday against the Boston Celtics.