Luka Doncic And Lakers Hold Off Clippers As Kawhi Leonard Exits Late - Beritaja

For conscionable the 11th clip successful 55 games this season, the Lakers had Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves sharing the tribunal together.

They are the halfway of the Lakers, the engines that make this squad go, but wellness issues person prevented them from playing together for acold excessively much. In their first crippled since the All-Star break, Doncic, Reaves and James carried the Lakers to a 125-122 triumph complete the Clippers connected Friday nighttime astatine Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic had 38 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.

Lakers defender Austin Reaves celebrates aft Clippers defender Bennedict Mathurin (9) was called for an violative foul Friday astatine Crypto.com Arena.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Reaves had 29 points, six assists and made a large protect play precocious successful the game.

And James had 13 points and 11 assists, his 5th consecutive crippled pinch 10 aliases much assists.

Up 118-115 pinch 1:49 left, Reaves took drew a complaint connected Bennedict Mathurin, the Clipper’s sixth foul that sent him to the chair pinch 26 points.

Still, the Lakers didn’t flight until Doncic made 2 free throws pinch 21.2 seconds near to springiness the Lakers a five-point lead that hardly stood.

With a 125-122 lead and the ball, James threw a vulnerable cross-court walk intended for Doncic that Nicolas Batum alternatively stole.

But Batum missed a imaginable game-tying three-pointer and James sewage the rebound to unafraid the win.

The Lakers put 2 defenders connected Kawhi Leonard, double teaming the Clippers’ champion violative weapon, keeping a crowd of defenders about him, particularly erstwhile they employed their area defense.

Leonard was giving it to the Lakers, but he near precocious successful the 4th fourth pinch near ankle soreness, departing pinch 31 points connected 11-for-19 shooting.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said pre-game that Leonard is backmost to being a unit connected some sides of the basketball.

That’s why truthful overmuch of the Lakers’ gameplan centered about trying to slow down Leonard, who is eighth successful the NBA successful scoring (27.8) and tied for first successful steals (2.0).

“He’s much consistently taking the tougher assignments correct now, and he’s backmost to being conscionable an elite two-way subordinate connected some ends of the floor,” Redick said. “And you know, he’s playing arsenic good arsenic anybody successful the NBA correct now for the past 2 months, immoderate the starting constituent would be, but it really is connected some sides of the ball.”

Leonard is simply a superior logic why the Clippers are still rolling contempt having traded distant 2 cardinal pieces successful defender James Harden and halfway Ivicia Zubac.

The Clippers started the play 6-21, looking thing for illustration a playoff team.

But past they hit the Lakers connected Dec. 20 and that sewage the Clippers rolling to a 21-7 agelong entering Friday night’s game, a two-month play that saw them get to 1 crippled nether .500.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said nary of the Clippers ever gave up connected the season, adding they were ever “playing to win” nary matter whether they had “young, old, toddlers” connected the court.

“I conscionable consciousness confident,” Lue said. “I conscionable consciousness assured successful our players, assured successful our coaching unit and I conscionable consciousness assured successful the situation and the civilization that we’ve set. Why wouldn’t we want to play to win? That’s our mindset. That’s my mindset each azygous night. As reliable arsenic it whitethorn beryllium aliases you commencement 6-21 immoderate it whitethorn be, you’re playing to win. So, we make it to the playoffs and thing could happen. So our extremity is to make it to the playoffs. I don’t cognize why personification would scoff astatine that.”