Your Los Angeles Lakers and their crosstown not-quite-nemeses (in terms of cultural cache, not actual 2023-24 season ability), the Los Angeles Clippers, will face off for their first matchup with hometown boy James Harden in tow.
The starting lineups for both clubs have been announced, with the game set to tip off at 6:30 p.m. PT on local networks.
Why this isn't a national broadcast befuddles me, especially amidst some very, very mediocre Week 18 NFL football and a Golden Globes resurrection nobody wanted.
So will a returning D'Angelo Russell start for the Lake Show, you ask?
Via their official team X/Twitter account, the Lakers have answered that question. The team will bring back the first five Darvin Ham employed during the club's Grizzlies loss on Friday. Austin Reaves will start at the point, Taurean Prince at the two spot, Cam Reddish at small forward, All-Star LeBron James at power forward, and All-Star Anthony Davis at center.
The Clippers have announced that they will be starting Harden at the point, Terance Mann at shooting guard, All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George at either forward spot, and ex-Lakers center Ivica Zubac in the middle. Another, less-missed ex-Laker, Russell Westbrook, is the team's seventh man off the bench.
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