A dramatic comeback almost succeeded! The East-James duo scored 55 points but fell short as Harden posted 18+10; in the Los Angeles derby, the Lakers narrowly lost to the Clippers.

On January 23rd Beijing time, during the NBA regular season, the Clippers secured a 112-104 home victory over the Lakers.

For the Clippers, Leonard scored 24 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists, Zubac had 18 points and 19 rebounds, Harden contributed 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists, Miller added 14 points, Collins had 13 points and 5 rebounds, Sanders scored 11, and Lopez had 10; for the Lakers, Doncic put up 32 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals, LeBron James scored 23 points with 5 rebounds and 6 assists, Hachimura had 12 points, and Smart contributed 10 points and 4 assists.

In the first quarter, both teams started evenly matched, tied at 12. Then Doncic exploded offensively, becoming unstoppable; Zubac aggressively attacked the basket while Sanders showed his shooting range from outside, keeping the Lakers narrowly ahead at 20-19. The Clippers’ perimeter shooting improved as Sanders and Harden hit consecutive threes, Collins delivered timely alley-oops to dominate inside, and the surprise weapon Sanders kept draining threes, causing trouble for the Lakers. The quarter ended with the Clippers leading 36-29.

In the second quarter, Lopez scored repeatedly inside, Leonard showcased his excellent individual skills with successful floater shots, and Lopez also hit some outside shots. Leonard and Harden combined to dominate, with role players contributing effortlessly, allowing the Clippers to extend their lead to double digits. Harden continuously attacked the basket aggressively, Dunn capitalized on steals to score easy points in fast breaks, helping the Clippers finish the half leading 64-47.

In the third quarter, Harden started with a three-point play, Leonard and Lopez continued hitting from outside to pressure the opponents, and the entire Clippers team played actively and effectively, maintaining an 86-72 lead going into the final quarter.

In the last quarter, Hachimura stepped up, scoring repeatedly with his shooting, LeBron powered through fast breaks to hit threes, and Doncic also scored from beyond the arc, bringing the Lakers close at 91-93. Harden nailed a crucial three-pointer, Collins aggressively attacked the rim again, stabilizing the Clippers’ position. When Smart hit a three, and Vanderbilt and LeBron attacked the basket consecutively, the Lakers closed the gap to 101-105. Energized, Zubac threw down a dunk, Collins hit a three-pointer, and the Clippers sealed the game at 110-104. The Clippers then maintained their advantage and secured the win as planned.

Starting Lineups

Clippers: Leonard, Collins, Zubac, Dunn, Harden

Lakers: LeBron James, LaRavia, Ayton, Smart, Doncic