Luka Doncic had 43 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, and LeBron James added 25 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ fifth straight victory, 135-118 over the Los Angeles Clippers, on Tuesday night.
Doncic tied his season high with 32 points in the first half en route to his 51st career 40-point game. He narrowly missed his 10th career 40-point triple-double, but the Lakers clinched their group with their third straight NBA Cup victory.
Austin Reaves had 31 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who won 11 of 13 overall.
James, 40, also looked more like himself in the third game of his unprecedented 23rd NBA season, scoring 16 points in the second half as the Lakers steadily pulled away.
James Harden continued his stride with 29 points and nine assists for the Clippers, who lost 11 of 13. Kawhi Leonard scored 19 in his second game after a 10-game injury absence.
The first meeting of the season between the crosstown rivals was heated when Clippers guard Kris Dunn was ejected with 3:33 remaining after knocking Doncic to the ground with a backhand slap. Doncic confronted Dunn, who pushed the ball into Doncic’s chest before Lakers center Jaxson Hayes pushed Dunn in the back. Dunn then hit Hayes, who also committed a technical foul.
Doncic opened his high-scoring quarter of the season, making his first five 3-point attempts — after missing 17 of 22 in his previous two games — and scoring 20 points in just the first eight minutes.
He also led a stream of trash talk and stares on the Clippers bench, continuing a semi-friendly feud with Los Angeles’ second team that predates his trade to the Lakers.
To be continued
Clippers: Host Memphis on Friday.
Lakers: Host Dallas on Friday.
