Los Angeles Lakers faced off against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night, securing a hard-fought victory despite not playing their best basketball. Luka Doncic led the way with another standout NBA performance, and he didn’t hold back in a heated exchange with James Harden and the Clippers’ bench.
Doncic has a long-standing rivalry with the Clippers, dating back to three playoff series and multiple iconic performances during his time with the Dallas Mavericks. In the Lakers’ 106-102 win over the Clippers, Doncic came out firing, scoring 12 points in the first quarter. After draining his third step-back three of the period, he turned to the Clippers’ bench and let them hear it.
“You gotta step up,” Doncic taunted. He then directed his trash talk toward Harden after sinking a difficult shot over him, telling the former MVP: “You can’t f*ing guard me.”
Scare for Lakers fans, but Doncic delivers
Doncic had a complete all-around performance, finishing with 29 points, nine assists, and six rebounds. However, he briefly caused concern for Lakers fans when he headed to the locker room in the first quarter with a potential injury scare. Fortunately, he returned in the second quarter and played the rest of the game without issue.
Doncic embraces the Lakers spotlight
After the game, Doncic acknowledged that the Lakers’ recent surge has put them under the league’s microscope. “Yeah, I think so,” Doncic said when asked if he believes the Lakers now have a target on their backs. “I didn’t believe it before, but they say if somebody is out a long time, they’ll play against the Lakers. I didn’t believe that for a long time, but obviously, it’s the Lakers.”
Lakers continue their climb in the West
With this win, the Lakers moved up to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, benefiting from the Denver Nuggets’ loss to the Boston Celtics. The victory further solidifies the Lakers as legitimate playoff contenders and strengthens their case as a team capable of making a deep NBA postseason run.