Here are the scores, updates, and results of the NBA 2020-2021 Preseason match between the Los Angeles Lakers (LAL) and the Los Angeles Clippers (LAC) on December 23, 2020, at the Staples Center.
Few hours after the Los Angeles Lakers received their respective championship rings before tip-off, the defending champions bowed down to their Staples Center little brothers Los Angeles Clippers, 116-109, to start their quest winning back-to-back NBA championships.
Punctuated by a stellar Paul George outing, scoring 33 points, the Clippers take the season-opener over the Lakers for the second consecutive season.
In the first quarter, the Clippers raced out to a 22-point lead, but the Lakers battled back in the second quarter and tied it by the third. But George’s hot-shooting, 13 of 18 from the field, was enough to seal the victory.
“I just allowed the game to come to me. I thought I put a lot of just pressure on myself to score (in the first half). I got into a good rhythm of making plays for the team. That’s how I play. That’s how I catch fire. I let the game come to me,” said George in a televised interview after the game.
“I took shots when they were available. I didn’t press,” George added.
Clippers also got a solid effort from Kawhi Leonard, who scored 26 points.
Throughout the match, Lakers star Lebron James, who tallied 22 points, played only 28 minutes, and Anthony Davis played 31 minutes and dropped 18. The former had recorded five assists and five rebounds, while the latter had seven rebounds under his name.
Former Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell totaled 17 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in his Lakers debut.
Los Angeles (LAL) vs Los Angeles (LAC)
Quarters: 19-39; 54-56; 78-89; 109-116
The scores:
Lakers (109) – Lebron James 22, Anthony Davis 18, Montrezl Harrell 17, Kyle Kuzma 15, Dennis Schroder 14, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 9, Talen Horton-Tucker 6, Markieff Morris 5, Alex Caruso 3, Marc Gasol 0, Wesley Matthews 0, Quinn Cook 0.
Clippers (116) – Paul George 33, Kawhi Leonard 26, Serge Ibaka 15, Ivaca Zubac 11, Lou Williams 11, Patrick Beverly 10, Luke Kennard 4, Nicolas Batum 3, Patrick Patterson 3, Reggie Jackson 0, Amir Coffey 0, Mfiondu Kabengele, Terance Mann 0.