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The Los Angeles basketball rivalry was bound to get more interesting with Luka Dončić on the Lakers, and he delivered on Friday.
The Slovenian star nearly set a new high in his Lakers career with 31 points against the Los Angeles Clippers, a frequent playoff foe during his time with the Dallas Mavericks against whom he averaged 32.6 points per game. The Lakers won 106-102, their fifth straight win as well as their fifth straight win over the Clippers.
Dončić shot 9-of-22 (3-of-9 from 3-point range) with five assists, three steals and six turnovers. The win improves the Lakers’ record to 37-21, keeping them tied with the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets for the second seed in the West.
They’ve now won 15 of their last 18.
Dončić finished one point of his high with the Lakers, though he still has yet to shoot above .500 in a game with them.
LeBron James also had 28 points and 13 rebounds. It remains an unenviable task for a team to figure out how to stop an offense with two do-everything stars, with at least one on the court at all times. The Clippers entered Friday ranked second in the NBA in defensive rating, though they’ve also lost four of their last five.
The Lakers also lost Austin Reaves, who has emerged as a third star alongside Dončić and James since the big trade, to right calf soreness early in the game. He’ll undergo an MRI on Saturday. Los Angeles was already without starter Rui Hachimura on Friday due to a knee injury.