**LOS ANGELES —** The Clippers came into Tuesday night with the third-worst fourth-quarter point differential in the league — they have struggled when the intensity of games ramps up. The Lakers have been the opposite, with the league’s sixth-best average point differential in the fourth quarter.
Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James made sure those trends continued Tuesday — and the Lakers are going to the NBA Cup quarterfinals because of it.
Entering the fourth on Friday, the Lakers led 98-93, still a tight five-point game. Less than four minutes later, it was the Lakers by 15. The Clippers hung around within striking distance, but ultimately had no answer for Luka Doncic, who finished with 43 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists (his fifth 40+ point game of the season).
Highlights: Doncic overpowers LAC with 43 points
Luka Doncic showed his lethal ability on all ends of the floor against the Los Angeles Clippers, dropping 43 points to help the Lakers secure their third win in NBA Cup group play.
LeBron, Doncic and Reaves combined for 99 points on the night and the result was a 135-118 Lakers win, improving them to 13-5 on the season.
“I thought tonight was a great game for all three of those guys,” Lakers coach J.J. Redick said. “Luka getting going early and establishing himself, LeBron and AR, staying patient within that, being very efficient in that first half, within that onslaught that Luka had, knowing that there’s going to be adjustments made, knowing that there’s going to be that stretch where he’s off the floor. And I thought that group to start the fourth quarter, and then when Jaxson (Hayes) was out there with Luka, that execution offensively was high level.”
The win also means the Lakers have won West Group B in the NBA Cup and will advance to the knockout round of the tournament that they won two years ago. That means each player will make at least an extra $53,093, and that could climb up to more than half a million if they win the tournament.
“I’ll always accept money,” Doncic said.
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Tension grew as the game moved along and came to a head in the fourth quarter when the Clippers’ Kris Dunn shoved Doncic to the floor going for a rebound, and a foul was called. Doncic bounced up and walked toward Dunn saying some choice words, Dunn shoved the ball in Doncic’s chest drawing another whistle, Jaxson Hayes came over to defend Doncic and shoved Dunn, who then turned around and came at Hayes and had to be restrained. Dunn was ejected for his actions, while Hayes, as the third man in, got off light with a technical.
The Clippers’ bottom-10 in the league defense had no answer for the Lakers’ big three of Doncic, Reaves (31 points) and LeBron James (25).
Much of this cross-town matchup was the kind of game fans love and coaches hate — defense was optional. It was like that from the opening tip. The Clippers started game 7-of-9 shooting with an assist on all seven shots — including John Collins picking up his first assist in nine games.
However, the real story early was Doncic, who started 5-of-5 from 3-point range and had 20 of the Lakers’ first 29 points.
Despite Doncic’s 24 in the first quarter, a James Harden 3-pointer made it 38-37 Clippers after one. The lack of defense continued through the first half, with the Lakers ahead 69-66 at the half while shooting 59.5% to the Clippers’ 57.1%. Doncic had 32 points at the break.
Harden finished the night with 29 points, but on 9-of-21 shooting. Kawhi Leonard added 19, as did Dunn before he was ejected.
Their play kept it a five-point game entering the fourth, but that’s when things changed. The Laker offensive execution was too good. The Clippers just had no answers. And the Lakers advance in the NBA Cup because of it.
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