LeBron James needed a comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, but it was insufficient given his dominance over time.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar led a 21-point fourth-quarter rally against their crosstown rivals, resulting in a dramatic 116-112 victory. James scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, with five three-pointers and four assists.
He outscored the Clippers 19–16. With those assists, it was a blowout.
The Clippers, sans All-Star Paul George, built an early 98-77 lead but struggled on defense. The squad didn’t appear to mind losing easy matchups against James, frequently soft-switching and being punished for it.
In this video, Norman Powell and James Harden, who are not known for their defense, repeatedly guard James.
James continued to make baskets, and the Clippers’ offense slowed just enough to allow the Lakers to score. James told ESPN:
On Monday, the Clippers unveiled a new look, but by Wednesday, the tale had already been told. The squad still has an 11-7 record versus James since he joined the Lakers, but it has already lost three straight games to him, all on comebacks. It squandered a 19-point lead in November and a nine-point advantage in January.
That is not a great way to end your time as Crypto.com Arena co-tenants. The Lakers and Clippers will not meet again for the remainder of the regular season. If they do not meet in the playoffs, Wednesday will be the Clippers’ final “home” game against the Lakers until they relocate to the new Intuit Dome the following season.