The Los Angeles Clippers don’t have time for moral victories anymore, especially not at 5-13 and losing 11 of their last 13 games. Even with Kawhi Leonard back in the lineup, the Clippers were overwhelmed Tuesday night, giving up 135 points in a rivalry loss to the Lakers that never felt competitive.

After the defeat, Leonard didn’t sugarcoat the issue. When asked about the team’s defensive collapse, both during his 10-game absence and since his return, he pointed directly to the lack of resistance against opposing stars.

“We probably need to make star scorers pass more,” Leonard said. “Teams do that to us, Harden, me, Zu, they force us to move the ball. We’re letting other teams get comfortable.”

James Harden continued his recent offensive surge with 29 points and nine assists, but it wasn’t enough to mask the fundamental flaw Leonard pointed to: opposing stars are getting whatever they want, whenever they want it.

That was clear against Luka Dončić, who torched the Clippers' defense and set the tone early, forcing the Clippers to chase the game.

And the problems run deeper than one bad night.

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Bradley Beal is expected to miss the rest of the season. The John Collins trade looks increasingly like a miscalculation, adding salary without solving spacing, rim protection, or defensive consistency. The Clippers are bottom-tier in transition defense, fouls allowed, and clutch rating, and have yet to find a lineup identity.

Leonard, still ramping up after injury, finished with 19 points, but even with him on the floor, the defensive structure wasn’t there.

For now, the message from the Clippers’ franchise star is simple: Stop letting opposing superstars cook, or stop pretending this season is salvageable.

The clock is ticking in Los Angeles. And right now, the Clippers are getting punked, and everyone knows it.