LOS ANGELES — Another matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers was penciled in as a win for the Los Angeles Clippers, this time, on Wednesday night with no Kawhi Leonard. LeBron James had himself a spectacular offensive performance, but he was outdone by Clippers star Paul George, who led his team to a ninth straight win over the Lakers and 34th win in the last 41 matchups.

George put up 29 points, six rebounds, and four assists on 10-of-17 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 from 3-point range in the 114-101 Clippers victory. It was George's sixth consecutive game scoring at least 26 points on 50 percent shooting, continuing the incredible run he has been on the last few weeks.

It has come at a good time too, as Kawhi Leonard is still missing time due to stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee.

“Coming into a season, you don't know what to expect,” Paul George said after the Clippers' win. “I think we all wish [Kawhi] could be out there with us and I know he wishes he could be there with us, but you never know how the season's gonna go about. My job is just to pick up the pieces, keep us going until he's coming back and he returns. So with that it's just reading how the season's going.

“I know I gotta be more aggressive, I gotta take the load and be the leader for this team so that's just been my approach. Come out, be the leader, lead this group and good thing about it I got a heck of a support cast.”

The Clippers stormed out to a 17-point first-half lead that seemed to be the beginning of the end for the Lakers. Instead, LeBron James' club tied the game in the same quarter they went down 17 points in.

At halftime, the Clippers collected themselves and quickly righted the ship. Just minutes into the third quarter, the Clippers retook their double-digit lead and never looked back despite a 30-point night from LeBron James.

The win for the Clippers gave them five wins in the last six games.

“I think it's coming together,” George added. “We're starting to trust that small, the small pick and roll and I think we're starting to understand one another. We're starting to get the spacing, we're starting to read the defenders and yeah, I mean we've been having success with it now. We just gotta keep it going. Every night's gonna be different. I think we just gotta play how the game is going and up late we've been doing that.”

The biggest concerns with Paul George are health and his availability. Wednesday's game saw James leave with a groin injury after starting it out with a foot injury. George, however, says he's feeling the best he's ever felt this early in a season.

“I feel like it is wear and tear as every player probably has something, but overall I think I'm just getting stronger and stronger,” Mine said. I'm not even allowing the 40 minutes, the load to creep into my head. I'm playing at a high level. I'm enjoying the game, I'm enjoying this process with the guys and I'm ready to go to war for T-Lue.”

The Clippers will close out their four-game home stand on Saturday when they take on the Kyrie Irving-less Brooklyn Nets.