On January 20th, Beijing time, the first scoring battle of the NBA regular season in Los Angeles kicked off, with the Clippers hosting the Lakers at home. The two teams were initially locked in a seesaw battle, but the Clippers unleashed a 19-4 run in the second quarter to pull away, and then completely took control of the game. Although the Lakers managed to close the gap at one point, they were unable to sustain their momentum. Ultimately, the Clippers defeated the Lakers 116-102, securing their fourth consecutive victory.
In the first quarter, Hachimura scored with an alley-oop dunk, Powell scored 7 points with a combination of inside drives and outside shots, both teams displayed excellent offensive form, James hit two consecutive three-pointers, Harden responded with a 3+1 and also made a three-pointer, giving the Clippers an 18-12 lead. James scored on a fast break, Christie hit a three-pointer, the Clippers' offense remained strong, and they were able to maintain the initiative. Davis scored inside, Harden hit a three-pointer, Bamba scored under the basket, and after the first quarter, the Clippers led the Lakers 32-26.
In the second quarter, Batum started with a three-pointer, Leonard also made a jumper, Reeves hit a three-pointer to stop the bleeding, the Lakers adjusted and continued to attack to score and keep up with the score. Powell hit a three-pointer, Christie scored on a drive, but then the Lakers' offense suddenly stalled and they kept making mistakes. On the Clippers' side, Porter Jr. scored 7 points in a row, Leonard could also score, and the Lakers were unable to respond. The Clippers continued to counterattack and score, opening up a 19-4 run to widen the gap. The Lakers relied on free throws to stop the bleeding, Xiaoqiang Jones scored with a fast-break dunk, and at halftime, the Clippers led 64-49.
After changing sides, Hachimura hit a three-pointer, Harden made a jumper, Xiaoqiang Jones stood out again to score consecutively, achieving a 75-54 lead. James made a jumper to stop the bleeding, Leonard continued to score, helping the team maintain the lead, Harden hit a three-pointer, the Lakers' offense was blocked again, Coffey made a jumper, and the score reached 90-64. Davis made a jumper to stop the bleeding, James also made a jumper, Knecht hit a three-pointer, the Lakers launched an 11-0 run, Harden made free throws to stabilize the situation, James scored on a breakthrough, and at the end of the third quarter, the Lakers trailed 77-92.
In the final quarter, the Lakers continued their offensive form and further narrowed the gap. Powell broke through to stabilize the situation, Hachimura made a jumper, and the score reached 85-96. Zubac scored a 2+1 to stabilize the situation, Harden hit a follow-up three-pointer, the Clippers regained the initiative, Reeves made free throws to catch up, Harden made a jumper, and then the Clippers took the initiative, eventually defeating the Lakers 116-102.
In this game, the Clippers had outstanding performances on both offense and defense. Harden scored 21 points and 12 assists, moving his career scoring to 14th in history; Powell scored 22 points, Zubac had 21 points and 19 rebounds, and Leonard contributed 19 points in 24 minutes. On the Lakers' side, James scored 25 points and 11 assists, while Davis had 16 points and 10 rebounds.