Luka Doncic delivered a dominant 38-point, 11-assist performance Friday night, powering the Los Angeles Lakers to a 125–122 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers and earning a split of the season series between the crosstown rivals. Austin Reaves added 29 points, while LeBron James contributed 13 points and 11 assists in the Lakers’ first game after the All-Star break.
Los Angeles appeared in control after building a 15-point second-half lead, but the Clippers surged back to set up a tense finish. Doncic responded with 12 fourth-quarter points, steadying the Lakers down the stretch and sealing the win in a tightly contested final minute.
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 31 points but exited with 5:10 remaining due to an apparent ankle injury, a costly setback for a team that has battled back from a 6–21 start and was on the verge of returning to .500. Bennedict Mathurin continued his strong start with his new club, scoring 26 points with seven rebounds before fouling out late. The athletic guard, recently acquired from Indiana in exchange for center Ivica Zubac, followed up his 38-point outing against Denver with another standout showing.
The Clippers nearly forced overtime when Derrick Jones Jr. scored on consecutive possessions to cut the deficit to three with 46 seconds left. Nicolas Batum then stole a LeBron James pass in the closing seconds, but his potential tying three-pointer rimmed out with four seconds remaining.
The victory was notable for the Lakers’ rare full-health alignment of Doncic, James, and Reaves, who have shared the floor in only 11 of the team’s 55 games. Doncic, returning from a mild hamstring strain, set the tone early with 17 first-quarter points and four three-pointers during a scorching Lakers stretch in which they hit 16 of 17 shots. Leonard answered with a 19-point second quarter, keeping the Clippers within striking distance throughout a high-scoring rivalry clash.
