The LA Clippers continued their win streak against the LA Lakers, moving to 8-0 since the bubble with a 103-97 “road” win, to start the 2022-23 season 1-0.
Summary
Although the final score would indicate that the game was close, that’s not quite an accurate portrayal of how the entirety of the game went.
Sure, the Clippers didn’t play their best basketball, but that’s to be expected given that it was the first game of the season. What was clear from the opening tip was that the Clippers are a much better and much more cohesive team than the Lakers.
In a bit of a surprising move to start the game, Tyronn Lue opted to bring Kawhi Leonard off the bench, and he didn’t check into the game until the late in the second quarter. But despite that, the Clippers were still able to build a double-digit lead early on. When Leonard did come into the game, he knocked down a couple of shots and the Clippers were rolling.
The Lakers had a little bit of a punch though as they fought their way back using some careless Clippers turnovers to get out in transition and get some easy buckets. They would tie the game up at 56 going into the half.
Leonard would start the second half and the Clippers once again showed they are the superior team. They built up another double-digit lead. But they would allow the Lakers to get back in the game yet again. The Clippers even trailed briefly before regaining control of the game. Reggie Jackson hit some big shots before exiting the game, and Leonard and John Wall helped close the door on the Lakers down the stretch.
Notes
Ivica Zubac had one of his best games ever in a Clippers uniform. He finished with 14 points, a career-high 17 rebounds, and five blocked shots. He owned the paint all game and went right at Anthony Davis on multiple possessions.
John Wall was phenomenal in his Clippers debut. He came off the bench in favor of Reggie Jackson but he closed the game out and was a big reason why the Clippers pulled off the win. He knocked down shots, got to the rim, and just made an overall positive impact.
Although Kawhi Leonard came off the bench, he looked solid. He consistently got to his spots on the court and routinely punished the smaller Lakers wings. It will take some time for him to really get his legs back under him, but it was a good start.
Overall, the execution has to be better. The Clippers had some poor possessions with unforced turnovers and not so great shot selection, but that will get better with repetition. Even with an overall “poor” game so to speak, they still were miles better than the Lakers.
The Clippers travel to Sacramento for their next game on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT.
