L.A. Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley is pulling off his mind tricks early on the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James, two minutes into their game on Monday night.

Beverley has made a name for himself as a notoriously pesky defender. He's known for not backing down on anyone and James, by any means, is no exception.

Despite having a hefty disadvantage in terms of height and built against James, Beverley will make up for it with heart and hustle. Those two traits have been his calling cards for years and they will be put to good use on every possession he's on the Lakers superstar.

The Lakers have been on a horrible funk no thanks to injuries and distractions. From their lofty fourth-place standing dating back to Christmas Day, Los Angeles is slowly being dragged down by themselves into missing the playoff bus.

Meanwhile, the Clippers are in the thick of it, battling for one of the bottom seeds in the West. The eighth or seventh won't be much of a reward as the Golden State Warriors stand as a potential first-round matchup.

For years, the Clippers have played with a chip on their shoulder, being tagged as the lesser L.A. team. This season, though, they have a golden opportunity to rule over Tinseltown.