LOS ANGELES — They had hardly played together.
But on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers’ star trio flexed their respective strengths to help hold off the surging Clippers, 125-122. Twenty-two of the Lakers’ first 26 points to begin the game came courtesy of Luka Doncic, LeBron James or Austin Reaves, who were playing just their 11th game together this season thanks to a rare moment of full health for the team coming out of the All-Star break.
Doncic finished with 38 points, 11 assists and six rebounds on 11-for-25 shooting (8 for 14 from 3-point range), while Reaves played second fiddle with 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field. James added 13 points and 11 assists, his fifth straight game with at least 10 assists, matching Magic Johnson as the only other player in franchise history with at least four such streaks.
The Lakers wasted no time getting their prolific offensive performance started.
Doncic missed a layup to begin the game – as the Clippers (27-29) scored the game’s first five points thanks to a hook shot and an and-one from center Brook Lopez – but over the next 18 looks from the field, the Lakers (34-21) made 16 shots, half of which came from 3-point range. James and Reaves funneled in seven points apiece, while Doncic heated up with a 3-pointer over Clippers guards Kris Dunn and Jordan Miller on a double-team attempt, an alley-oop pass to Jaxson Hayes, and a step-back 3-pointer to cap a three-possession clinic.
The Lakers led 41-30 after one quarter and Doncic, who had missed the four games before the All-Star break with a mild hamstring strain, had 17 points, including a 4-for-5 showing from behind the arc.
Kawhi Leonard – who scored 23 points in the Clippers’ 115-114 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night – had 31 on 11-of-19 shooting Friday before missing the final 5:10 with left ankle soreness for the Clippers (27-29), who missed a chance to get back to .500 after their 6-21 start to the season.
Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin – acquired in the trade-deadline deal that sent center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers – filled up the stat sheet for the second straight night. After matching his career-high with 38 points against Denver, Mathurin had 26 points and seven rebounds against the Lakers before fouling out with 1:49 to play.
Leonard, who had just one basket in the first quarter, answered the Lakers’ strong start with a 19-point second quarter.
The Clippers trailed 72-65 at the break and found themselves down by 16 in the third quarter, but Mathurin scored nine points in the third, sparking a 17-1 run as the Clippers erased their deficit and kept the game close the rest of the way.
“Down the stretch, they were running plays for him, and drawing fouls,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of Mathurin’s effort against the Nuggets. “He’s a really skilled and talented offensive player.”
Mathurin forced his way to the free-throw line often, where he made 11 of 14 shots. Following a 9-0 run, catalyzed by Leonard, Mathurin drove straight at Doncic – landing a floater and drawing a foul.
The Clippers’ new arrival converted the free throw, and helped the Clippers cling to a one-point lead. With 1:50 left in the third quarter, he drove at Rui Hachimura – drawing another foul and draining a nearly identical shot to creep back back to within two points of the Lakers after Doncic replenished a lead with his sixth 3-pointer.
The teams traded clutch 3-pointers from Lakers guard Marcus Smart and Lopez in the fourth quarter before Doncic provided a closing flurry. He scored 12 points in the fourth and snapped a 109-all tie with a 3-pointer to give the Lakers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Even with Leonard off the court nursing his ankle and Mathurin having fouled out, the Clippers fought until the final buzzer. Derrick Jones Jr. scored on consecutive possessions to trim the Lakers’ lead to 123-120 with 46 seconds left. Nicolas Batum then stole James’ pass in the final seconds, but the Frenchman missed a tying 3-point attempt with 6.2 seconds remaining.
_More to come on this story._