NBA Game of the Week: Lakers vs. Clippers

The crosstown rivals in the City of Angels meet at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood for Tuesday night NBA on TNT action.

The Lakers are coming off a two-game winning streak, including an impressive win on Saturday over the New York Knicks, where LeBron James dropped a triple-double on 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists.

The Lakers have found their stride under first-year head coach JJ Redick, winning eight of their last 10 games and sitting pretty in the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles also shook the sports world by acquiring superstar Luka Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick in the dying hours of Saturday night. However, Doncic is not expected to suit up for Los Angeles until Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.

Tuesday’s game against the Clippers will be the first game for the Lakers in the post-Anthony Davis era. Davis will prove to be an immense hole to fill for Los Angeles, as he was the team leader in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks prior to the trade.

Overall, the Lakers are going to need to rely on James for a pair of stellar performances before Doncic gets his first minutes in the purple and gold.

In the Lakers’ sole game against the Clippers so far this season, James posted 25 points with five rebounds and 11 assists. Lakers key shooting guard Austin Reaves totaled 14 points on two rebounds and three assists in the loss as well.

On the other hand, the Clippers are dangling right below the Lakers as the sixth seed in the Western Conference going into the matchup.

Los Angeles is coming off of a 115-108 loss to the struggling Toronto Raptors. The Clippers are 6-4 in their last 10 games, but they did beat the Lakers in one of those games as stated before.

Guard Normal Powell has surprisingly established himself as the scoring leader on a team with both James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. While Leonard has only played in 11 games this season due to injury, Harden has appeared in 46.

In the Clippers’ last game against the Lakers, Powell dropped 22 points coupled with four rebounds, one assist, and three steals. Harden totaled 21 points with four rebounds while dishing out 12 assists.

Harden also isn’t far off from one of his best games of the season against the Milwaukee Bucks, where he dropped 40 points in a strong Clippers win.

This Clippers team is capable of wreaking havoc going into the back half of the NBA season, but chemistry issues based on Leonard’s always-changing availability make it hard to sustain a consistent style of play for Tyronn Lue’s team.

Both Los Angeles teams are going through many changes in their rosters and trying to secure playoff spots through the remaining portion of the season. A win against a crosstown rival would be significant for both sides at this point in the year.

Tip-off for the matchup is slated for 10 p.m. Fans can expect a high-scoring, dynamic display of NBA action from the City of Angels.

Oscar Orellana is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email oko5122@psu.edu.