Instant Analysis: Lakers Secure A Stunning Blowout Victory Over The Clippers

It was a dominant showing for the Lakers tonight on the road at Intuit Dome. Against Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers flexed their depth in an impressive blowout win over their longtime rivals.

The Lakers set the tone early on, exploding to a 45-18 run in the first quarter, led by LeBron James who scored 14 points in the first 14 minutes. The Lakers never looked back after that and carried their momentum through the rest of the game to the 122-97 win.

For the Lakers, LeBron James was the star of the show with 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists on 8-13 shooting. Austin Reaves dropped 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists on 7-13 shooting. Meanwhile,  young forward Rui Hachimura finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists on 4-8 shooting from three.

In 30 minutes, James Harden dropped just 7 points on 2-12 shooting with 3 rebounds and 9 assists. Kawhi Leonard added 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists on 4-11 shooting. In the backcourt, Norman Powell finished with a team-high 20 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists on 7-15 shooting.

Without Anthony Davis in the lineup, expectations were low for the Lakers in this game but they somehow managed to win in dominant fashion. With Luka Doncic's arrival on the horizon, this was a good win to set the tone and flash an efficient supporting cast ahead of a new era of Lakers basketball.

LeBron James Masterclass

Even at 40 years old, LeBron James is the centerpiece of the Lakers' offense and he went off tonight to lead the team to victory. In 31 minutes, James dropped 26 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals on 8-13 shooting. He was +19 on 2-4 shooting from three.

Without his co-star tonight, the burden was on LeBron to lead the Lakers and set the tone on both ends of the floor. Fortunately, he had one of his best games of the season tonight and the Lakers were able to use it to cruise to a statement win over a top-six team in the West.

With averages of 24.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game on 51.3% shooting this season, LeBron James has been the most consistent player on the Lakers. Amid changing circumstances for the franchise, he once again stepped up by showing up big tonight and paving the way for Luka Doncic's arrival.

Lakers Dominated The Boards

With Ivica Zubac and Derrick Jones Jr. in the frontcourt, the Lakers had a unique opportunity to pick up an extra win before Luka's arrival later this month. Among other things, their dominance on the glass helped make the difference and gave them control for most of the game.

The Lakers were playing with maximum effort and energy, performing key box outs and diving for every loose ball. The Lakers starters alone totaled 30 rebounds, giving the Lakers a 52-36 point advantage on the boards.

With key players missing the frontcourt, the Lakers rallied together to put on one of their best wins of the season. By crashing the glass, they were able to limit the Clippers' shot attempts and avoid giving up second-chance points which ultimately kept the Clippers at bay.

18-37 From Three

The Lakers are still in a state of flux ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline. After acquiring Luka Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis and Max Christie, the Lakers are still searching for their identity ahead of Luka's arrival. 

What ultimately made the difference tonight was red-hot shooting from three which allowed LeBron to play with the ultimate freedom. As a team, the Lakers shot 18-37 from beyond the arc - - six more than the Clippers with much higher efficiency.

When the Lakers are shooting like that, they are a hard team to beat whether Davis is there or not. While you may not depend on the supporting cast to do it every night they can occasionally step up when needed to provide that crucial floor spacing that opens up the game for everyone.

While Luka Doncic was unable to join his new teammates in this game, he got to watch from the sidelines as they picked up a crucial win against a fellow Western Conference contender.

We don't yet know when Doncic will make his Lakers debut but the grind doesn't stop for JJ Redick and the crew. After tonight's match, they will play Golden State Warriors at 10:00 PM EST at Crypto.com arena. They play the Indiana Pacers at home on February 8th before a showdown against the Utah Jazz on Monday, February 10th at 10:30 PM EST.