The Los Angeles Lakers got their biggest comeback win in over two decades in Wednesday night’s matchup against their hometown rival, the Clippers, who were without starting center Ivica Zubac and All-Star Paul George after missing his second straight game with a sore left knee.
LeBron James Leads Lakers to Largest Career Comeback Win
Norman Powell’s buzzer-beating three to end the third quarter gave the Clippers their largest lead of the night: Clippers 96, Lakers 77. The Los Angeles Lakers were down 19 points, and after an easy bucket by Mason Plumlee to start the fourth trailing by 21 points, LeBron took over. James Harden, who finished with 23 points and nine assists for the Clippers, began being targeted in ball screens by LeBron. The Laker’s main goal was trying to get Harden switched onto LeBron, regardless of how many screens it took, and the strategy worked. In the 4th quarter, LeBron James outscored the Clippers by himself, exploding for 19 points and dishing out four assists. The Los Angeles Lakers made four threes as a team going into the final period, while James alone hit five of his season-high seven 3-pointers in the fourth quarter while on his way to a 34-point night. “It’s just a feeling when you feel like everything you put up is going in,” James said after the game. “I just kept it consistent. I wasn’t taking ill-advised shots. I stayed in the course of the offense. My teammates did a great job of continuing to find me, and I just tried to dictate the tempo, dictate the game. It’s just a zone. Can’t really describe it. Wish you could stay in it forever.”
WHAT A NIGHT FOR LEBRON.
👑 34 points, 8 assists, 7 threes
👑 19 in 4Q to lead 21-point comeback
👑 40 points away from 40K pic.twitter.com/IUYTIjFaGl— NBA (@NBA) February 29, 2024
Darvin Ham said in the fourth quarter that the 39-year-old James “Put the cape on and just got aggressive and got into a good rhythm. He’s been shooting the ball extremely well this whole entire season, and this was just another case of it.” LeBron, who has shot a career high of over 40% from three this season, used his scoring to boost his already great playmaking by either scoring or assisting on 11 of the Lakers’ 13 baskets in the fourth-quarter comeback. Ham noted that the best part of LeBron is he’s always been a playmaker, saying, “he got in a rhythm, and you know, with his playmaking skills, he sets the tone. Once they started scheming and trying to hit him with a double team late, he was able to pick them up and pick them apart. That’s just who he is.”
How we feeling, Lakers Fam? pic.twitter.com/WHqYcAqdb2
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 29, 2024
Anthony Davis had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers while continuing to dominate defensively with three blocks and two steals. Rui Hachimura added 17 points with a massive corner three late in the fourth to give the Lakers their first lead in the game since the first quarter, followed by a slick pump fake and up-and-under reverse layup on Rui’s next trip on offense. D’Angelo Russell finished with 18, hitting a quick release three to beat the shot clock and stretch the Laker lead to 6 points with 1:12 remaining in the game. The fourth quarter started with a Cam Reddish three and ended on a breakaway game, sealing Reddish’s dunk after an outlet pass from James, having just stopped Kawhi Leonard’s 12-footer with five seconds to play. Leonard scored 26 points on the night. After the game, LeBron spoke on the team’s overall health and play going forward as the 9th seed but highlighted Cam Reddish’s return to action. “Obviously, we know where we stand right now in the standings, but health has always been our kryptonite, but we’re trying to get healthy. Cam made his first game back today after 14 games, and it’s great to have him back.”
Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers Final Showdown of “Hallway Series”
This will be the final game in the rivalry known as the “Hallway Series,” in which the Clippers hosted as the home team Wednesday night in Crypto.com Arena, more commonly known as Staples Center. The two teams have shared the same home floor since the 1999-2000 season. The era ends this fall as Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, continues a rebrand as the billionaire quickly moves into a new arena in Inglewood, the Intuit Dome, and out from underneath the Los Angeles Lakers 17 NBA championship banners.
NEW: The Los Angeles Clippers are unveiling a massive rebrand.
It’s part of a new era for the team that will include new uniforms, colors, and their new $2 billion arena. pic.twitter.com/197W2S3KmP
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) February 26, 2024
Though it has never happened before, the teams could always meet in a potential playoff matchup this spring. This may be the perfect season for a “Battle of LA” series in the playoffs. The Clippers have finished with a better record than the Lakers in 10 of the last 11 seasons; however, in 2020, the season the Los Angeles Lakers won more games, they also added their 17th title. The Lakers won three of four over the Clippers this season, winning the season series for the first time since 2011-2012. The Los Angeles Lakers will host Washington first on Thursday night as they face both LA squads in back-to-back nights. LeBron will likely get a much-needed game off against a terrible Wizards team that is currently tied with the Detroit Pistons for the worst record in the league, with only nine wins on the season.
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