In what was their third meeting of this regular season, the Lakers defeated the Clippers inside the Staples Center on Sunday, 112-103.

Two Western Conference powerhouses vying for supremacy in the city of Los Angeles and aiming for a favorable seed in the playoffs. It was a matchup that provided several interesting story lines. In this piece, we'll highlight three of the hotter points of discussion.

3. The King Still Reigns

Though he's playing in his 17th season, Lakers superstar LeBron James is still finding ways to assert his dominance.

Some have said that James has “lost a step,” but that didn't appear to be the case this weekend. The former No. 1 overall pick led his team to hard-fought victories over the Bucks and Clippers, dispatching the reigning MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Finals MVP in Kawhi Leonard.

James logged 35 minutes in Sunday's win over the Clippers, scoring 28 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field (2-of-6 from beyond the arc), nine assists, and seven rebounds. It was a big win for the Lakers, as the Clippers are the only team that has defeated them twice this season.

It was a Clippers home game, but there were several Lakers fans in the arena who showered James with MVP chants as he stood at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.

With just over 30 seconds remaining and the Lakers holding a 12-point advantage, James checked out of the game. As LeBron made his way to the bench, Kyle Kuzma placed an imaginary crown on his head.

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With the win, the Lakers, who recently clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2013, snapped the Clippers' six-game winning streak.

So… did LeBron do enough this weekend to close the gap on Giannis for this season's MVP race? There are roughly 20 games left in this season, and The King is coming.

During his post-game availability, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel noted that this was James' best weekend in purple and gold.

“LeBron was unbelievable,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said, via ESPN's Ramoma Shelbrune. “This was his best weekend in a Lakers uniform. He really dominated both games.”

2. Avery Bradley's Revenge

Bradley has played for the Clippers in the past, which means Sunday's game likely held a bit more weight.

The former Texas Longhorns standout came alive in the second half, scoring four his season-high six 3-pointers in the third quarter alone. With this barrage of perimeter shooting, the Lakers took their first lead since the opening minutes of the game.

Bradley logged 33 minutes against the Clippers, scoring 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting (6-of-12 from downtown), three rebounds, one assist and two steals.

1. Underachieving Role Players

Though Paul George and Kawhi Leonard played fairly well for the Clippers, several of the team's role players struggled to find a rhythm against the Lakers. In fact, Marcus Morris, who the Clippers recently acquired, scored just one point in 29 minutes of action. His brother, Markieff, scored four points for the Lakers in 16 minutes.

George finished with 31 points and six rebounds, registering a -10 plus/minus score. Leonard, on the other hand, had 27 points and two rebounds with a plus/minus of -17. Patrick Beverley, a player who is often viewed as a tough defender, scored just two points, four rebounds and one assist. Ivica Zubac had five points and seven rebounds.

Notably, the Clippers finished Sunday's game with more turnovers (15) than assists (12).

George later noted that Sunday's loss doesn't set his team back:

“They were the team that really wanted it and they went and got it,” George said, via ESPN. “It's hard to beat any team three times in a row in this league. It doesn't set us back.”

The Clippers and Lakers will square off for a fourth and final time this regular season on Thursday, April 9. Tip-off inside the Staples Center is set for 10:30 p.m. ET, with TNT having live broadcast coverage.

Let's see who comes out on top in the final battle for L.A.