The Lakers made it interesting late, but the Clippers had already done the damage.
Behind 24 points from Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers beat the Lakers 112–104 on Thursday night in Inglewood, surviving a pair of Los Angeles runs and closing with enough shot-making and composure to protect a lead that once ballooned to 26.
The game’s shape was decided early. The Clippers owned the first half with a crisp, physical pace, closing the second quarter on a 17–7 surge to take a 64–47 lead into the break, then opened the third by scoring their first 15 points through the same three names that have steadied them all season: Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac.
From there it became a test of whether the Lakers could turn star power into a comeback. Luka Dončić was brilliant; 32 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and the Lakers finally found the downhill pressure that had been missing in the first half. They cut the deficit to two in the fourth during a 19–7 burst, but each time they threatened to flip the night, the Clippers answered. Harden hit a timely three to halt the momentum, and Zubac’s interior finishing helped restore breathing room.
Harden finished with 18 points and 10 assists, while Zubac posted a punishing line, 18 points and 19 rebounds, as the Clippers leaned into size and second chances when the game tightened. The Clippers had seven players in double figures, a reminder that their recent climb has been powered as much by depth and role clarity as by headline talent.
For the Lakers, the rally couldn’t fully erase the sluggish start, and the margin for error looked thinner with Austin Reaves still out (calf strain). The result also gave the season series a clearer frame: the Clippers improved their position with another win over their hallway rival, while the Lakers left with the familiar frustration of having found the right intensity only after spending most of the night chasing it.
