Lakers

Visit ESPN for the game recap of the LA Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA basketball game on October 20, 2022.

Ham said he and the Lakers “would in no way, shape or form put a player in harm's way." 2013, when he came off the bench for the Spurs in New York. [Kawhi Leonard](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/6450/kawhi-leonard) had 14 points and seven rebounds in his first game in 16 months, and the Los Angeles Clippers opened a season of sky-high expectations with a 103-97 victory over the Lakers on Thursday night. Leonard suggested the idea of coming off the bench until he feels fully up to speed. Be confident in your shot, and they're going to fall.” He returned a few minutes later and played through back pain. “Continue to have confidence in yourself. The Lakers went 9 for 45 on 3-pointers overall. Lonnie Walker scored 26 points in his Lakers home debut. The Clippers' high hopes for their first championship rest largely on Leonard's ability to return to elite form. “My goal was to try to be great in my minutes,” Leonard said. The two-time NBA Finals MVP decided to ease back in a temporary reserve role after missing all of last season while recovering from surgery.

Lakers lose to Clippers despite good games from LeBron and Anthony Davis · Lakers lose season opener, it might be time to send Russell Westbrook home -- Lakers ...

Poor three-point shooting, mediocre play from role players, and getting thoroughly out-rebounded are some of the many reasons this team has started 0-2. He was abysmal on the offensive side of the ball with two points on 0-for-11 shooting. [Los Angeles Clippers](https://www.clipsnation.com), and they gave the Lakers every opportunity to steal this game. In the third quarter, the Lakers got their first Anthony Davis injury scare when he fell hard after jumping to contest a Leonard jumper at the 9:18 mark. Anthony Davis returned, as did LeBron, and they were able to keep the game within reach down by just eight heading into the fourth. The second quarter was a series of runs. The Lakers started the game with back-to-back threes from Lonnie Walker IV and LeBron James. Reaves had sparks of brilliance but was overall underwhelming, contributing only 4 points and 5 fouls in 20 minutes. Rebounding is also an issue for the Lakers, given their size deficiencies. Walker had a productive game, scoring 20 in his 31 minutes of play, but Nunn and no points, going 0-for-7 in his 11 minutes. Starting 2-of-2 from three, the Lakers ended the first quarter 3-of-13 from beyond the arc. Patrick Beverly was engaged and effective, blocking a Paul George jumper while Kawhi Leonard watched from the bench, already on a minutes restriction.

The Clippers decided to start the season with Kawhi Leonard coming off the bench in an effort to keep him fresh for key stretches and end of games.

“Tonight’s how it’s going to go and we’ll see how it goes from there.” “He has to understand that as great as he is, it’s not going to come overnight. The five-time All-Star point guard, 32, made his first two jump shots from the midrange before darting to the rim for a layup that showed the quickness the Clippers believed was a missing element. “It was long,” Leonard said. “I thought he looked good,” Lue said. After sitting the entire first quarter Leonard played the final six minutes 25 seconds remaining before halftime, checking in with the Clippers holding a 12-point lead.

Paul George registered 15 points and 10 rebounds and Kawhi Leonard had 14 points and seven rebounds in his return from major knee surgery to help the Los ...

Davis had 15 to lead the Lakers in the half and Wall scored 10 for the Clippers. The Clippers got consecutive 3-pointers from Reggie Jackson and Kennard to take a 95-91 lead with 5:39 left and later went ahead 99-93 on Wall’s basket with 3:07 remaining. Leonard played 21 minutes off the bench in his first contest since he tore the ACL in his right knee on June 14, 2021 against the Utah Jazz in a Western Conference semifinal game. “It’s amazing,” Leonard said of playing on a full-strength Clippers team. John Wall added 15 points in his Clippers’ debut, Ivica Zubac collected a career-best 17 rebounds to go with 14 points and five blocked shots and Marcus Morris Sr. Luke Kennard hit all three of his 3-point attempts while scoring 11 points.

Could Kyle Kuzma contend for his next title before the team that drafted him does? Bally Sports reporter Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson thinks it's a ...

The thing that I really like about them is the fact that added Monte Poole, but they have a core that includes Kyle Kuzma, Kristpas Porzingis and of course Bradley Beal. During his first game of the 2022-23 season last night, a 114-107 Wizards win on the Pacers' home floor, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Kuzma enjoyed an eye-popping, stat-stuffing evening. Appearing on Stadium TV's Live On The Line program and Bally Sports Network, Robinson wondered if the ex-Laker, who won a title with L.A.

LeBron James tried to turn the attention to the Lakers' impressive defensive performance after another night of poor shooting in a loss to the Clippers.

Go on to the next one." That's the way that we want to play. I mean, that's the way we want to play. "Solid," he said of his night. shot 9-for-45 from 3 in Thursday night's [103-97 loss](/nba/game/_/gameId/401468171) to the [Clippers](/nba/team/_/name/lac/la-clippers). It's as simple as that." It's how hard we play, how aggressive we play, how determined we are to go out and compete every night. "Played hard. "And, again, we see these guys making shots in practice and shootaround. And we got to defend. "Keep shooting it, be confident in your shot. That total somehow managed to be even worse than the Lakers' 10-for-40 clip from deep in their opening-night loss to the [Golden State Warriors](/nba/team/_/name/gs/golden-state-warriors).

"Just flush it down the toilet and get ready for Sunday," Lakers forward LeBron James said of Westbrook's rough shooting performance. "He's a veteran. We've all ...

James [noted as much](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lebron-james-on-lakers-offense-to-be-completely-honest-were-not-a-team-constructed-of-great-shooting/) after the Lakers' season-opening loss to the Warriors, saying "we're not a team constructed of great shooting." Ownership and the front office are reportedly committed to giving the current roster In their first two games, both losses, they have combined to go 73 for 188 (39 percent) from the field and a dismal 19 for 85 (22 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc. Give Westbrook credit for finding ways to make an impact despite being ice cold from the field. All of his shots except for one came from 3-point range or in the paint, as you can see in the shot chart below. Westbrook went 0 for 11 from the field, including 0 for 6 from 3-point range as he finished with two points, four assists, three rebounds and five steals in just over 27 minutes.

Everything that Lakers forward LeBron James has went through has put him in sight of the all-time leading scorer.

I think he's one of the greatest stories of all time." I've said this public before I think his story is the greatest sport story of all time. At 37 years old, James is doing things the basketball world has never seen before and has had consistent greatness since his rookie season. James has scored 44,724 points in the regular season and playoffs, while Abdul-Jabbar poured in 44,149. [combined all-time scoring in the regular season and playoffs](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/most-points-in-nba-history-regular-season-and-playoffs#:%7e:text=LeBron%20James%20has%20put%20up,and%20playoffs%2C%20with%2044%2C693%20points.), also held by Abdul-Jabbar. James currently sits just under 1300 points away from breaking [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/lakers-news-fans-react-to-lebron-jamess-icy-relationship-with-kareem-abdul-jabbar-rm94)'s all time regular season scoring record.

It remains to be seen if Westbrook will remain a Laker, but sports analyst Rich Eisen believes the criticism for Westbrook comes too soon. To Eisen's point, it ...

"It took one night for the off-season long narrative for Russell Westbrook doesn't fit here and Darvin Hams plan is something he's not buying into. Eisen believes Westbrook should not be getting the level of scrutiny, especially after just one game into the season (via It remains to be seen if Westbrook will remain a Laker, but sports analyst Rich Eisen believes the criticism for Westbrook comes too soon. It's not time to panic on Russell Westbrook yet. [Charles Barkley](https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/charles-barkley-some-choice-words-for-russell-westbrook-la-situation-ak1987) to say the Lakers should trade Westbrook because it looked like the fun was being sucked out of him. [first loss of the season](https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/warriors-blow-out-lakers-in-season-opener-ak1987) to the Warriors, but Lakers guard [Russell Westbrook](https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/russell-westbrook-avoided-his-teammates-in-a-pregame-huddle-ak1987) was rather efficient despite all the media scrutiny received in recent months.

The shots still weren't falling for the Lakers tonight, but Lonnie Walker IV provided consistent scoring for his squad. Lonnie led the team offensively with 26 ...

The team LBJ and AD had their way in the paint when the Clippers decided to go small just before halftime. Lonnie led the team offensively with 26 points.

10-time All-Star small forward Paul Pierce, who spent 15 of his 19 NBA seasons with Lakers fans' least-favorite basketball team, has weighed in on L.A.'s ...

to its 17th NBA title during his first season on the team in 2019-20, was let go by Jeanie Buss and Pelinka at the end of the 2021-22 season. After presumably watching the disappointing output of every Laker not named Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, or Kendrick Nunn in the team's 2022-23 season opener, a [123-109 loss to the Warriors](https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/warriors-blow-out-lakers-in-season-opener-ak1987), Pierce reflected on the Pelinka deal. Westbrook, on the other hand, has been much worse for L.A. With most of the same players but also several nagging injuries, the club finished with the West's No. Pierce took his Boston Celtics to two NBA Finals against Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and the rest of your Los Angeles Lakers, winning in 2008. finished with a 33-49 record and missed the playoffs entirely.

Leonard went for 14 points and seven rebounds, while Wall had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Still, he simply has to make some shots, and a night like this will only add to the criticism he's faced during his time in L.A. Davis was limited to 76 games in his first two seasons with the Lakers and missed time in the preseason, so this was not what anyone wanted to see in the first week. He was 0 of 11 from the field overall and 0 of 6 from 3-point land. Those measures worked as he later returned to the game and was able to play the rest of the way. The numbers are one thing, but the more encouraging sign for Wall and the Clippers is that he looked a lot like his old self in terms of burst and athleticism. Early in the third quarter, Anthony Davis rotated over in help defense and bit on a pump fake by Kawhi Leonard. [NBA](/nba/) basketball game since tearing his ACL on June 6, 2021, and had not come off the bench in an NBA game since Nov. This summer he finally got his wish to leave Houston and wasted little time signing with the Clippers. In all, Leonard played 21 minutes and finished with 14 points and seven rebounds on 6 of 12 from the field. [Paul George](/nba/players/1755181/paul-george/) had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and [Ivica Zubac](/nba/players/2245326/ivica-zubac/) put up a big double-double of his own with 14 points and 17 boards. Meanwhile, [Kawhi Leonard](/nba/players/1715792/kawhi-leonard/) made his return from a torn ACL with 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench and [John Wall](/nba/players/1755192/john-wall/) added 15 points in his Clippers debut. He ended both of those droughts on Thursday night, as he suited up for the Clippers' season opener but came off the bench in order to ease his way back into action.

Here's how NBA Twitter reacted to the Lakers losing to the Clippers, with Russell Westbrook finishing with two points.

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LOS ANGELES—Kawhi Leonard had 14 points and seven rebounds in his first game in 16 months, and the Los Angeles Clippers opened a season of sky-high ...

Be confident in your shot, and they’re going to fall.” “My goal was to try to be great in my minutes,” Leonard said. The two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals MVP decided to ease back in a temporary reserve role after missing all of last season while recovering from surgery.

Leonard went for 14 points and seven rebounds, while Wall had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Still, he simply has to make some shots, and a night like this will only add to the criticism he's faced during his time in L.A. Davis was limited to 76 games in his first two seasons with the Lakers and missed time in the preseason, so this was not what anyone wanted to see in the first week. He was 0 of 11 from the field overall and 0 of 6 from 3-point land. Those measures worked as he later returned to the game and was able to play the rest of the way. The numbers are one thing, but the more encouraging sign for Wall and the Clippers is that he looked a lot like his old self in terms of burst and athleticism. Early in the third quarter, Anthony Davis rotated over in help defense and bit on a pump fake by Kawhi Leonard. [NBA](/nba/) basketball game since tearing his ACL on June 6, 2021, and had not come off the bench in an NBA game since Nov. This summer he finally got his wish to leave Houston and wasted little time signing with the Clippers. In all, Leonard played 21 minutes and finished with 14 points and seven rebounds on 6 of 12 from the field. [Paul George](/nba/players/1755181/paul-george/) had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and [Ivica Zubac](/nba/players/2245326/ivica-zubac/) put up a big double-double of his own with 14 points and 17 boards. Meanwhile, [Kawhi Leonard](/nba/players/1715792/kawhi-leonard/) made his return from a torn ACL with 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench and [John Wall](/nba/players/1755192/john-wall/) added 15 points in his Clippers debut. He ended both of those droughts on Thursday night, as he suited up for the Clippers' season opener but came off the bench in order to ease his way back into action.

If he doesn't play, the Lakers win this game. If he's not on this team, the Lakers win this game. Lakers guard Russell Westbrook elevates for a layup over ...

It’s unfair to the fans. It’s unfair to the team. Westbrook has been in the starting lineup both games this season, and now some are wondering if the Lakers aren’t bowing to his outrageous accusations. “I just want him to keep having that joy, keep having that excitement, that fun — that’s what makes him special, the fact that he can do that on a nightly basis,” said George. He’s been surly with the media. The Lakers can pick up the shooters they so desperately need. If he doesn’t play, the Lakers win this game. it’s not geared for him with the roster they have as well.” Yet much of what has happened since is on him. Westbrook can play in the new surrounding he desperately needs. They are eventually going to spin into oblivion because of him. Believe it or not, they could even make the playoffs.

Russell Westbrook is getting most of the heat, but the Lakers' problem is its roster.

The Lakers and Westbrook are, for now, stuck with each other. And if the Lakers want someone other than Westbrook to be their starting point guard, there aren’t many better options on the bench. He missed all 11 of his shots against the Clippers, much to the chagrin of the crowd. The Lakers were [even better on Thursday with a rating of 100.0](https://www.nba.com/game/lac-vs-lal-0022200016/box-score?type=advanced). And yet the Lakers have launched a bevy of 3s. James does have good reason for optimism, but it has to do with the other side of the ball. A key criticism of Westbrook last season was his penchant for turnovers and for playing out of control. It’s not that the Lakers are in a shooting slump. This is where Westbrook’s skills can be useful to the Lakers. This summer, the Lakers let more formidable shooters like Wayne Ellington and Malik Monk walk, and instead opted to bring in the athletic guard Lonnie Walker IV and Dennis Schröder, neither of whom is known for perimeter prowess. Through the first two games of the season, the Lakers have shot an almost unfathomable 19 for 85 from 3-point range (22.4 percent). LOS ANGELES — As Lakers guard Russell Westbrook went up for a 3-pointer against the Clippers, his home crowd groaned before the ball even left his hand.

The Lakers took steps forward in defense and scoring in transition, but their poor shooting meant another loss, this time to the Clippers.

[Khris Middleton](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29839/khris-middleton) remains out and missed). Tucker](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29214/pj-tucker) free throw put the Sixers up 88-86 with 32.7 seconds left, but [Wesley Matthews](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29559/wesley-matthews) answered with a 3-pointer that proved the game-winner for Milwaukee. [Lonnie Walker IV](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30589/lonnie-walker-iv) was aggressive and led the Lakers with 26 points (9-of-21 shooting). But that’s the bar — the Bucks and Celtics are the Eastern Conference favorites. [Anthony Davis](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29801/anthony-davis) had another strong game with 25 points and eight rebounds, and he and LeBron ran some high-low actions that led to good looks. Facing Boston and Milwaukee to start the season is a tough way to break in that young relationship. [Russell Westbrook](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29376/russell-westbrook) was the poster child for the Lakers’ shooting futility, going 0-of-11 on the night, including 0-of-6 from 3. The depth of the roster, which the Lakers couldn’t match, is what lets the Clippers do that and still win games. All of it was part of the Clippers’ depth that wore the Lakers down. For all the good things the Lakers started to do this game (it was a better outing than opening night), their shooting cut their momentum off at the knees. [LeBron James](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/28859/lebron-james)‘ only suggestion to Westbrook was to “flush it down the toilet” and move on and he’s right, Westbrook is not going to shoot this poorly every night. It wasn’t just Westbrook, the Lakers shot 35.1% overall and were 9-of-45 (20%) from 3.

Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers' depth spark a win, the Lakers' shooting woes continue and more.

“That’s something I have to maintain and look at from the past history of me trying to play 40 minutes every game and practicing for three hours.” “We’re sharing the ball offensively. [NBA.com](http://nba.com/). “You have to be prepared to do whatever your team needs to do. “It’s created by culture,” Lue said. Westbrook started once again on Thursday, finishing with two points (0-for-11 shooting). The Clippers have their first back-to-back set this weekend that starts in Sacramento on Saturday and ends at home vs. “It’s just about me trying to get consistent minutes, recovery, and staying healthy in the long run.” Leonard finished with 14 points (6-for-12 overall, 1-for-4 on 3-pointers) and seven rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench. It is unclear how long the Clippers will use Leonard as a reserve on restricted minutes. Leonard’s bench role already has affected the Clippers in other ways. The Clippers were better in Leonard’s other stints, opening the third quarter with an 18-9 run when Leonard played until he sat for the final 5:01.

The Lakers are 19-of-58 shooting from three-point range in two games, and two losses, this season. Here are takeaways from the loss to the Clippers.

But again, you just have to trust the process and continue to work at it and get reps up and eventually the ball will go in the hole.” Playing against a traditional center like the Clippers’ 7-foot Ivica Zubac, the Lakers’ small-ball lineup had problems. He scored a team-high 26 points, 12 in the fourth quarter. “I’m just here to bring energy, be a defender, be more of an athletic guard. “Well, I trust in those guys — as in Kendrick, Russ and Pat Bev’s professionalism, their work ethic, their individual pride in themselves in terms of wanting to have the best performance possible night in and night out,” Ham said. “I’m not here to score the most points,” he said. “I mean, that’s the way we want to play. In their second game of the season, the Lakers inexplicably shot even more three-pointers. And that’s a good ingredient to have.” We want to play fast, physical and free. It’s how hard we play, how aggressive we play, how determined we are to go out and compete every night,” James said. “But if we’re reliant on that every single game, then we’re in trouble.”

The alarm that LeBron James sounded after the Lakers' season opener got a little louder Thursday. The Lakers couldn't make three-point shots again and fell ...

He re-entered the game with about five minutes left in the third quarter and finished with 25 points. The Lakers trailed by 16 in the first half but pulled into a 56-56 halftime tie thanks to a steady diet of James, Davis and new starter Lonnie Walker IV (26 points overall). James raised eyebrows after the opener when he said, “we’re not a team that’s constructed of great shooting. “They’ve got to do it on the game floor. The numbers don’t lie, though. They made only nine of 45 shots from three-point range for a numbingly low 20% success rate on a very high volume of attempts.

Last night against the Los Angeles Clippers at both team's shared home of Crypto.com Arena, it almost looked like the Lakers were going to steal a victory from ...

The Clippers won the first "Battle of L.A." After a fake run at the start of the fourth frame, the game was indeed out of reach for Los Angeles. roster does, on paper, look a bit better than last year's geriatric (in basketball terms) personnel, but it still seems that team vice president Rob Pelinka has once again failed to properly surround stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis with enough help to do more than be a fringe play-in team. Instead, Darvin Ham played Westbrook late in the quarter, L.A.'s offense froze up, and the Clippers did just enough to close them out. was only trailing by 59-52 at the time, it was clear that Golden State was gearing up for a run. The Warriors turned on the jets in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers 32-19.

Last night, the team that got the best of them was L.A.'s second-favorite NBA franchise, the Clippers, led in scoring by Paul George, ex-Laker Ivica Zubac, John ...

"The word that bothered me with the Lakers last year was accountability," Crawford reflected. "I felt like they weren't accountable from the top on down, and this year they're kind of doing the same thing... Last night for the Lakers-Clippers game, we were treated to the insights of three-time Sixth Man of the Year and former Lob City Clipper Jamal Crawford, former LeBron James teammate Channing Frye, and Taylor Rooks for this format. [103-97](https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/clippers-survive-lakers-rally-to-win-nail-biter-ak1987). Turner Sports is exploring how best it can use social media to attract the eyeballs of cord cutters and folks who generally aren't interested in watching the game's traditional cable broadcast, or at least might be curious to see an alternative approach. Last night, the team that got the best of them was L.A.'s second-favorite NBA franchise, the Clippers, led in scoring by Paul George, ex-Laker Ivica Zubac, John Wall and Kawhi Leonard.

LOS ANGELES (AP) Kawhi Leonard had 14 points and seven rebounds in his first game in 16 months, and the Los Angeles Clippers opened a season of sky-high ...

Ham said he and the Lakers ''would in no way, shape or form put a player in harm's way.'' 2013, when he came off the bench for the Spurs in New York. Leonard suggested the idea of coming off the bench until he feels fully up to speed. Be confident in your shot, and they're going to fall.'' ... We've got a new team, and it's just going to take some time for us offensively with me (and Leonard) on a minutes restriction, but with due time, we'll get there.'' The two-time NBA Finals MVP decided to ease back in a temporary reserve role after missing all of last season while recovering from surgery.

Your Los Angeles Lakers may already be interested in tweaking around the edges of their rotation, two games (both losses) into the 2022-23 NBA season.

It would behoove the Lakers to look for more sharpshooters, though the team is a bit guard-heavy and could benefit somewhat from additional size on the wing. Beyond its rookies and injured players, the least-played Laker this season is 6'11" center Damian Jones, who has been squeezed out a bit by 6'9" power forward Wenyen Gabriel, who can play both the four alongside Anthony Davis and the five when he sits. The Lakers have been so desperate for floor spacing help that the team has turned to 15th man Matt Ryan, a training camp addition, recently, a dead-eye shooter in this year's Summer League. "The Lakers brought in veteran free agent Moe Harkless for a workout and meeting this week," Charania notes. Unfortunately, Harkless is a fairly uneven shooter from long range on a lowe volume of attempts. That said, he's enjoyed several seasons hovering right around an acceptable 35%, most recently in 2019-20, when he shot 34.7% on 1.6 tries through 62 contests for the Clippers and Knicks.