On January 20th, the NBA regular season continued with a derby match between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers. In this game, Harden achieved a milestone by surpassing Oscar Robertson to move up to 14th place in history, while Leonard reached his career 14,000-point milestone. The Clippers ultimately defeated the Lakers 116-102. With this victory, the Clippers secured their fourth consecutive win, while the Lakers' two-game winning streak came to an end.
Clippers (24-17): Harden scored 21 points and had 12 assists, Powell scored 22 points, Zubac scored 21 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, and Leonard contributed 19 points and 4 assists.
Lakers (22-18): James scored 25 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and had 11 assists, Davis scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Reeves scored 14 points, Hachimura scored 19 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, and Knickert scored 10 points.
In the first quarter, Harden's 3+1 and Leonard's three-pointer helped the Clippers take an 18-12 lead at 6 minutes and 49 seconds. Davis scored six points in a row, and the Lakers narrowed the gap to 23-26 in the latter half of the quarter. After that, both teams exchanged blows on the court, and at the end of the first quarter, the Clippers led the Lakers by 32-26.
In the second quarter, Kevin Porter Jr. scored seven points in a row, and the Clippers went on a 13-3 run in the middle of the quarter, leading 56-44 with 4 minutes and 13 seconds left. The Lakers' offense continued to struggle, while the Clippers expanded their lead with multiple players contributing. At halftime, the Clippers led the Lakers by 64-49, a 15-point advantage.
In the third quarter, shortly after the start, the Clippers scored eight points in a row, widening the gap to 20 points at 72-52. Leonard scored four points in a row, and Harden hit a three-pointer, extending the Clippers' lead to 26 points. The Lakers managed to score 11 unanswered points in the final stages of the quarter, reducing the deficit to around 15 points. After three quarters, the Clippers led 92-77.
In the fourth quarter, Zubac completed a 2+1 play, and Harden hit a three-pointer, forcing the Lakers to call a timeout when the Clippers led 102-85 with 6 minutes and 10 seconds remaining. After the timeout, the Lakers started to catch up, and with 4 minutes and 31 seconds left, Hachimura made a fast break, bringing the Lakers within 11 points at 93-104. In the crucial moment, Zubac and Batum scored five points in a row, ending any suspense about the outcome of the game as the Clippers led 115-97 with 1 minute and 15 seconds left. Ultimately, the Clippers won the game 116-102.