The Clips secured two wins in a row after getting rid of the visiting Knicks on Monday night, 114-105. Blake Griffin led the show for LA, finishing with 30 points and six rebounds, while shooting 12-for-17 from the floor. Teammate Chris Paul efficiently controlled the offense with a game-leading 13 assists and also added 13 points.
Overall, the entire Clippers team shot nearly 50 percent from the field, with five players scoring in double digits. Defensively, they were solid in defending the perimeter as New York shot just 25.0 percent from down town. That’s something that they’ll have to do again in this third regular-season matchup with the Lakers, who were on fire from beyond the arc (40.7%) in Sunday night’s loss to Cleveland.
If the Clips manage to do so, then the offense should naturally follow as their Staples Center co-tenants haven’t been close to playing good defense all season long, ranking 28th in the league in points allowed.
The Clippers are 9-1 SU and 4-6 ATS in their last 10 meetings versus the Lakers—with the lone loss happening in this season’s first meeting.
The Lakers saw D’Angelo Russell explode for a career-high 40 points on Sunday night, only to eventually lose in what was a come-from-behind victory (125-120) for the reigning NBA champion Cavs. It was LA’s fifth-straight loss (2-3 ATS) and the 13th in its last 14 contests (3-10-1 ATS).
The results haven’t gone their way, but there’s no denying that Luke Walton’s young guns have been playing their butts off, competing with a lot of energy and for one another.
The Purple and Gold shot above 50 percent from the field against Cleveland, including 40.1 percent from deep, and had every one of its starters score in double figures. Moreover, they just turned the rock over six times despite averaging more than 15 TOs per game this season.
The game against the Cavs was also the first time that both Jordan Clarkson and Russell started together. Clarkson finished with 19 points, complimenting D-Lo’s aforementioned career night. That backcourt combination seems to work well for the Lakers offense.
