Celebrating his 26th birthday, Luka Doncic put up a remarkable performance by scoring 31 points for the Los Angeles Lakers, while LeBron James contributed 28 points along with 13 rebounds.
This impressive display helped the Lakers secure their fifth consecutive victory with a close 106-102 win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. Despite losing Austin Reaves to an early calf injury, the Lakers managed to regroup and secure a win, also missing Rui Hachimura due to a left knee strain sustained in a recent game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Doncic, who recently joined the Lakers at the trade deadline, has been a valuable addition with an average of 25.8 points in the last four games. On the Clippers’ side, Ivica Zubac scored 27 points and grabbed 16 rebounds while Kawhi Leonard contributed 21 points. However, the Clippers have faced a tough time post All-Star break, losing four out of five games. James Harden struggled to find his shot, scoring 18 points on 5-of-22 shooting, including a 1-of-10 from the three-point range. Kris Dunn stepped up in place of injured Norman Powell and had an all-around performance with 14 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals.
The Lakers now lead the series 2-1 against the Clippers and are gearing up to face them in the final game on Sunday. The game was a tightly contested affair with the Lakers taking a lead of 59-54 at halftime and maintaining it at 83-77 after three quarters. Doncic’s brilliant display included an 8-0 run with consecutive three-pointers, pushing the Lakers to a 98-88 lead.
Although the Clippers tried to make a comeback with a quick 8-0 run, the Lakers held their ground with timely buckets from Doncic and Gabe Vincent. Despite late three-point attempts by Leonard and Bogdanovic, the Lakers managed to secure the victory in a thrilling game.