The Los Angeles Lakers, who called Inglewood home for 32 seasons and won six NBA championships there, will return to the city on Sunday, this time as visitors.
The Lakers will travel to the new $2 billion arena of the Los Angeles Clippers, located just a mile away from The Forum, the Lakers’ former home. This game will also be the first of four matchups between the two teams this season, with all games wrapping up by March 2.
The Lakers come into the game after winning two straight, including a close 102-101 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. In that game, star player Anthony Davis watched from the bench due to plantar fasciitis. The Lakers almost lost an eight-point lead with 3:45 left but managed to hold on. Austin Reaves scored a career-high 38 points, with 15 of them coming in the final quarter. LeBron James added 29 points and eight assists.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick expects Davis to return on Sunday.
Reaves, who was filling in for Davis, has taken on a larger role in the offense since the trade of point guard D’Angelo Russell to the Nets on December 29. LeBron James praised Reaves for stepping up and said, “He’s in his process and he’s taking the opportunity and running with it, literally running with it.
And I love every moment that he’s given the opportunity to go out and showcase his talent with the best players in the world, and he’s showing every night that he belongs. It’s a beautiful thing to see.”
The Clippers, on a three-game winning streak, recently crushed the Nets 126-67 on Wednesday. Brooklyn then almost pulled off an upset against the Lakers.
The Clippers’ most recent win was a 118-89 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. Norman Powell led the team with 23 points, and James Harden added 19. The Clippers shot 56.4% from the floor, including 43.5% from beyond the arc.
Kawhi Leonard, who has played in only four games this season due to knee issues, sat out against Portland on the second night of a back-to-back. However, he returned to the court with a season-high 23 points against the Nets, shooting 8-of-11 from the field.
Leonard is expected to play against the Lakers, having logged a season-high 24 minutes in the previous game. Head coach Tyronn Lue has encouraged Leonard to take on a bigger role in the offense.
Leonard commented on his performance, saying, “It felt good, but like I said before, I’m taking my time. Just because I made shots doesn’t mean (everything), to me at least. It’s about how I’m moving and feeling. We pushed my minutes up from the last three, so tonight I was able to play 24 minutes. (Lue) allowed me to bring the ball up and get us into the pace of the offense. I thought that helped a little bit.”
The Clippers now face a tough stretch of games, playing four games in five nights. After facing the Lakers on Sunday, they will quickly turn around to play the Chicago Bulls on Monday, followed by games against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday and the Washington Wizards on Thursday. All these games will be at home, where the Clippers have a strong 14-6 record.
