Doncic turns it over 11 times. Reaves and Kessler win the city anyway
Austin Reaves scored 28, Walker Kessler blocked six shots, and the Lakers beat the Clippers 125-117.
NBA wire ·
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA Clippers | 31 | 33 | 26 | 27 | 117 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 27 | 37 | 39 | 22 | 125 |
Luka Doncic scored 23 and committed 11 turnovers, a career high, on a night the Lakers did not need him to be the best player on the floor. Austin Reaves had 28 points and nine assists. Walker Kessler added 22 points and six blocked shots. Los Angeles beat the Clippers 125-117 and started the season 2-0. It was the Lakers' ninth win in the last 13 meetings with the team that shares the city.
The lead got down to six late. Reaves and Kessler made the plays that kept it from getting closer. The Clippers shot themselves out of it with 26 turnovers. Darius Garland still had an encouraging 26 points and six assists in a rebuilding opener week that began with a rout of Sacramento. Brook Lopez, 38 years old and coming off the bench, scored 15 of his 22 points in the first half. Rui Hachimura had 16 and six rebounds for the Lakers.
A crosstown game in October is not June. It is still the game people in Los Angeles actually argue about. The argument Friday was simple. The scoring champion had a mess of a night with the ball, and his team won anyway, because Reaves ran it and Kessler kept shots out of the basket.