Lakers Vs. Clippers Preview: Anthony Davis & Dorian Finney-Smith Return In First Trip To Intuit Dome
Today at 08:24 PM
The Los Angeles Lakers have won two in a row and are holding on to one of the top six spots in the Western Conference. They managed to extend their win streak to two games on Friday night despite being without Anthony Davis and Dorian Finney-Smith. Luckily, L.A.’s superstar big man and recent trade acquisition return as the Lakers face a fascinating test in the L.A. Clippers on Sunday evening.
The Lakers and Clippers shared a home in downtown Los Angeles for 25 years. It led to a strained relationship between the two fanbases, and players on both teams would often talk about the little brother effect that it had on the Clippers. Owner Steve Ballmer opted to find the Clippers a new home, and they are now playing in the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, near the Kia Forum and SoFi Stadium.
So for the first time, the Lakers and Clippers meet in Inglewood. And they’ll do so at a time in the season that has significant intrigue. Nearing the halfway point, the Lakers are 22-17 and currently sit in the No. 6 spot in the conference. The Clippers are 23-17 and sit at No. 5.
With the Lakers having only a two-game advantage on No. 11, they can’t afford to lose many games to teams in the same clump of the standings from here on out. And with Davis back, the Lakers should be in strong contention to get a victory.
Davis missed Friday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets due to calf soreness. Jaxson Hayes and LeBron James, both listed as probable, are good to go as well, meaning only Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood are missing, a familiar sight for L.A.
Finney-Smith makes his return after missing time due to the birth of his son and having that wing presence defensively is big for this matchup.
James Harden, Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell were all listed as questionable but are expected to play. All three could present issues for the Lakers, so they’ll have to figure out how to game plan for multiple threats.
Kawhi Leonard is also in the lineup for the Clippers, and it should be on a mix of LeBron, Rui Hachimura and Finney-Smith to guard the Clippers oft-injured star.
The Clippers have been a far better defensive team this season. They have the second-best defense in the NBA but rank No. 22 on the offensive end. A part of that has been players missing games, but it’s also the personnel they have.
Simply put, the Clippers are a team that out-hustles and out-works their opponent each and every night, grinding out difficult victories in the process. The Lakers have had issues against those types of teams this season, and more than ever need to communicate, play with aggression and be leaders in the way that head coach JJ Redick has posed.
Los Angeles Lakers (22-17) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (23-17)
Sunday, January 19, 2025, 6:00 p.m. PT
Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California
TV: NBA TV, Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: Austin Reaves
SG: Max Christie
SF: Rui Hachimura
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis
Key Reserves: Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Dalton Knecht
Projected Clippers Starting Lineup:
PG: James Harden
SG: Norman Powell
SF: Kawhi Leonard
PF: Derrick Jones Jr.
C: Ivica Zubac
Key Reserves: Terance Mann, Amir Coffey, Nic Batum, Kris Dunn, Mo Bamba
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