A 14-point victory for the Clippers as Harden scores 21+12 and Leonard plays efficiently, while Zubac outperforms Davis and LeBron reaches a historic seventh place
On January 20th, Beijing time, the Clippers played against the Lakers at home, with the game ending in a 116-102 victory for the Clippers. Both teams have been in good form recently, with the Clippers securing a three-game winning streak and the Lakers achieving two consecutive victories. However, the Clippers boast the second-best defensive efficiency in the league this season, whereas the Lakers' defense has been poor and their offense inconsistent, making it challenging for them to win games. This match was crucial for the Lakers, as they are only half a game behind the Clippers. The Clippers' starting lineup for the game was Harden, Powell, Leonard, Jones, and Zubac, while the Lakers started with Reeves, Christie, Hachimura, James, and Davis.
In the first quarter, Hachimura scored on a cut, followed by Powell's counterattack score. Zubac and Powell continued to contribute points, but James responded with consecutive three-pointers. Later, Harden completed a 3+1 play, and after a timeout, Leonard hit a three-pointer, giving the Clippers a six-point lead. After another timeout, James and Christie tried to close the gap, but Leonard quickly responded. The game remained close until the end of the quarter when Harden led the Clippers to extend their lead, finishing the first quarter with the Lakers trailing by six points.
In the second quarter, Leonard and Batum attempted to increase the lead, followed by Reeves finding his offensive rhythm to keep the score close. James and Christie managed to narrow the gap, but Porter scored four points in response, maintaining a six-point lead for the Clippers. After a timeout, the Lakers' performance deteriorated, and Zubac and Leonard helped the Clippers extend their lead to 12 points. The Lakers continued to struggle towards the end of the half, and the Clippers led by 15 points at halftime.
In the third quarter, after Hachimura made a three-pointer, the Lakers stalled, while Harden made a mid-range shot for the Clippers. Zubac scored on a follow-up dunk, and after Powell's layup and Jones' dunk, the Clippers extended their lead to 21 points. Despite attempts by James and Davis to score, Harden and Leonard kept adding points for the Clippers, leading to a 24-point advantage after Harden's three-pointer. However, the Clippers' performance dipped towards the end of the quarter, allowing James, Hayes, and Knickert to reduce the deficit to 15 points. Harden scored from the free-throw line, and James also scored a layup, ending the third quarter with the Clippers leading by 15 points.
In the fourth quarter, the Lakers continued to chase points, with Hachimura's mid-range shot reducing the gap to 11 points. Zubac responded with a 2+1 play, and after Harden's three-pointer, the Clippers led by 17 points. Following a timeout, Hachimura scored to stop the bleeding, but Harden added more points, and although James and Hachimura briefly reduced the gap to 11 points, Davis missed a shot, and Zubac and Powell helped the Clippers maintain a 15-point lead. Seeing the situation, the Lakers gave up the game, resulting in a 14-point victory for the Clippers.
Despite Leonard's playing time restrictions, he played efficiently throughout the game, finishing with 19 points, 1 rebound, and 4 assists on 9-of-13 shooting. Harden also had an impressive game, scoring 21 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, and dishing out 12 assists, proving difficult for the Lakers to contain. Zubac outperformed Davis in this game, as Davis struggled due to Zubac's presence in the Clippers' interior, making it hard for him to attack the basket. Additionally, Davis' poor outside shooting further hindered the Lakers, and Zubac dominated the boards, finishing with 21 points, 19 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Davis scored 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and provided 3 assists on 5-of-14 shooting.
Although James made some mistakes in the game, he genuinely tried his best, helping the team score points. Unfortunately, the Lakers collapsed after James left the court, allowing the Clippers to widen the gap. The Lakers' poor three-point shooting also contributed to their inability to mount a comeback, leaving James powerless despite his efforts. He finished the game with 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 11 assists, and after recording three steals, he moved up to seventh place in the all-time steals list. Other Lakers players had varying performances: Reeves scored 14 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists; Hachimura had 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 assist; Smith went 0-for-3, scoring 0 points with 1 rebound and 3 assists; Christie scored 10 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist; Vincent had 4 points and 1 assist; and Knickert contributed 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist.