The Los Angeles Lakers desperately were looking for a win given their four-game losing streak, and for a bit it seemed like they were heading toward another loss when they drew the red-hot L.A. Clippers.
The Clippers have been on a tear the past month, and held control of the game for most of the night. However, it was the Lakers that pulled things out late in the fourth quarter to snap their losing streak and earn their first win of 2024.
LeBron James publicly said the team sucked after their most recent loss, and he made sure the Lakers wouldn’t be on the wrong end of their game against the Clippers as he was aggressive offensively. Both defenses did well to limit the other, but James’ speed and strength were too much for the Clippers to handle, especially whenever he got a full head of steam.
James had the play of the night when he drove hard to the rim and put Paul George on a poster that resulted in an and-1. James was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points on 11-of-19 shooting to go along with eight rebounds, seven assists and one steal.
OH MY @KingJames! 😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/CinKlturzJ
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 8, 2024
D’Angelo Russell returned to the lineup after missing the past few games with a back contusion. Russell started off slow, missing his first five shots from the field.
However, Russell bounced back in a hurry as he hit a pair of 3-pointers to give the Lakers the lead. He kept it up in the fourth quarter with a couple of timely buckets, ending his evening with 13 points to lead the bench.
Agua. pic.twitter.com/l0YSuCQ3xH
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 8, 2024
Christian Wood, who had been getting DNPs just a few weeks ago, was a huge lift for the Lakers as his scoring and rebounding helped keep them hanging around.
Not only that, but Wood was a real deterrent in the painted area whenever the Clippers were next to the rim. Wood recorded a near double-double of nine points and 10 rebounds, also adding two blocks.
HEARD YOU 🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/pY421QbTWc
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 8, 2024
Lastly, Anthony Davis asserted himself on both ends in the second half as he happily too advantage of his size in the middle of the floor. Davis had a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds, as well as three steals and one block.
What’s next for Lakers
The Lakers continue their homestand on Tuesday when the Toronto Raptors come to town. They’ll then get the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
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