LA Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers
· National Basketball AssociationLuka Doncic scores 38 and the Lakers hold off the Clippers 125-122 to split LA rivals' season series
LeBron James had 13 points and 11 assists for the Lakers in their return from the All-Star break. They blew a 15-point lead in the second half, but Doncic scored 12 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers split the four-game season series with their crosstown rivals.
Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points before missing the final 5:10 with an apparent ankle injury for the Clippers (27-29), who fell just short of getting back to .500 in incredible fashion after their 6-21 start to the season.
Bennedict Mathurin had 26 points and seven rebounds in his second straight outstanding game for his new team before fouling out with 1:49 to play. The athletic guard acquired from Indiana for center Ivica Zubac dropped a career-high-tying 38 against Denver on Thursday.
Derrick Jones Jr. scored on consecutive possessions to trim the Lakers' lead to 123-120 with 46 seconds left. Nicolas Batum then stole James' pass in the final seconds, but the Frenchman missed a tying 3-point attempt with 4 seconds left.
Doncic, James and Reaves were able to play together for only the 11th time in the Lakers’ 55 games this season, thanks to a rare moment of full health for the Lakers coming out of the break. They responded with a prolific offensive performance, even while James managed just two points in the second half.
In Doncic’s return from a four-game absence followed by a five-minute All-Star Game appearance due to a mildly strained hamstring, the Slovenian superstar scored 17 points with four 3-pointers in a dynamic first quarter for the Lakers, who made 16 of 17 shots in one stretch.
Leonard, who had just one bucket in the first, answered with a 19-point second.
The Clippers' John Collins was helped off the court with 18 seconds left in the first half after he bloodied his face on a hard landing while trying to catch a long pass at the rim.
Lakers: Host Boston on Sunday.
Regular Season Series
Series tied 2-2
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 122 - 125 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 122 - 125 |
| 4th 3.7 |  |
LeBron James defensive rebound | 122 - 125 |
| 4th 6.2 |  |
Nicolas Batum misses 27-foot running jump shot | 122 - 125 |
| 4th 8.8 | |
LeBron James bad pass turnover (Nicolas Batum steals) | 122 - 125 |
Statistics
 LAC |
 LAL |
|
|---|---|---|
| 45-82 | FG | 44-85 |
| 55 | Field Goal % | 52 |
| 8-21 | 3PT | 17-31 |
| 38 | Three Point % | 55 |
| 24-29 | FT | 20-25 |
| 83 | Free Throw % | 80 |
| 42 | Rebounds | 32 |
| 10 | Offensive Rebounds | 5 |
| 32 | Defensive Rebounds | 27 |
| 25 | Assists | 31 |
| 7 | Steals | 8 |
| 5 | Blocks | 4 |
| 16 | Turnovers | 12 |
| 0 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 16 | Total Turnovers | 12 |
| 2 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 2 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 1 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 20 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 18 |
| 16 | Fast Break Points | 14 |
| 58 | Points in Paint | 50 |
| 20 | Fouls | 24 |
| 5 | Largest Lead | 16 |
| 9 | Lead Changes | 9 |
| 8 | Percent Led | 86 |
Los Angeles Lakers Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|
LA Clippers Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Bradley Beal, G | Day-To-Day | Sep 28 |
| Yanic Konan Niederhauser, C | Out | Sep 28 |
| Brandon Ingram, F | Out | Sep 28 |
| Jordan Miller, G | Out | Aug 26 |
Game Information
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 18,997 · Capacity:
2026-27 Pacific Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Golden State |
0 | 0 | .000 | - | - |
 LA Clippers |
0 | 0 | .000 | - | - |
 LA Lakers |
0 | 0 | .000 | - | - |
 Phoenix |
0 | 0 | .000 | - | - |
 Sacramento |
0 | 0 | .000 | - | - |
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