LeBron James scored 26 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out nine assists as the Los Angeles Lakers gave a glimpse at an identity for the road ahead with a convincing 122-97 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday at Inglewood, Calif.
Playing with Luka Doncic (calf) on the bench after acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks over the weekend, the Lakers got 20 points apiece from Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves and sped up their offense to lead by as many as 24 in the first half. Reaves also supplied nine assists.
The Lakers shot 55.6 percent from the floor and 48.6 percent from 3-point range for the game as their efficient offense made up for defensive deficiencies created without the services of Anthony Davis and Max Christie, who were both traded to the Mavericks.
Norman Powell scored 20 points and Derrick Jones Jr. added 17 for the Clippers, who gave up at least 122 points for the eighth time this season.
Kawhi Leonard scored 11 points in 22 minutes while playing his 12th game this season after returning from a knee injury. Trade additions Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills made their Clippers debuts in the fourth quarter and combined for two points on four shots.
The Lakers jumped out to a 10-point lead about 9 1/2 minutes into the game and were up 45-29 after one quarter. The Lakers then held their first 20-point lead with 9:48 remaining in the first half, and they were up 73-50 at halftime.
The Clippers pulled within 13 points at 79-66 in the third quarter before the Lakers went on a 7-0 run to go back up by 20 at 86-66 about midway through the period.
The Lakers went up 105-78 with 8:56 remaining in the game after back-to-back 3-pointers from rookie Dalton Knecht and Hachimura, then cruised to the finish line to win for the ninth time in their past 11 games.
Lakers rookie Bronny James played the final six minutes and finished with three points, making the first 3-pointer of his NBA career with 4:37 remaining.
After losing 11 consecutive games to the Clippers through the end of the 2022-23 season, the Lakers have now won four of the past six meetings with their crosstown rival.
