The Lakers and Clippers squared off on Christmas in what was one of the more highly-anticipated games of this regular season. It was a hard-fought battle, but a strong defensive effort in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter led the Clippers to a 111-106 victory.
So… should the Lakers be worried?
Though their holding the best record in the Western Conference at 24-7, Wednesday night's setback marked the Lakers' fourth consecutive loss. It was also their second loss to the Clippers this season — the first coming to an L.A. side that was without Paul George due to injury. Both teams had their stars for their Christmas Day game, however.
The Lakers held a 15-point advantage in the third quarter, but the Clippers rallied behind Kawhi Leonard, who is now 8-3 overall against LeBron James in the regular season over the course of his career. Leonard, who joined the Clippers after leading the Raptors to their first championship in franchise history last season, scored 11 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's game.
For the record: Kawhi's 35 points set a new Clippers record for points scored on Christmas.
A head-to-head look at the two games between LeBron and Kawhi this season:
Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James' head-to-head stats this season from the two Clippers-Lakers matchups
Kawhi:
32.5 PTS
9.0 REBS
5.0 ASTS
1.5 STLS
34.7 MINS55.3% FG
50% 3PT
94.4% FT2-0
–
LeBron:
20.5 PTS
9.5 REBS
9.0 ASTS
1.5 STLS
37.4 MINS37.2% FG
17.6% 3PT
75% FT0-2
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) December 26, 2019
One interesting takeaway from Wednesday's matchup was the fact that LeBron seemed to reaggravate his groin injury after taking a flying knee from Clippers guard Patrick Beverley in the paint during the first quarter. James remained in the game, but he was held to 23 points on 9-of-24 shooting from the field (2-of-12 from beyond the arc). The King was one rebound shy of a triple-double.
James later noted that he is “back to square one” with regards to his groin injury recovery. Members of the Lakers organization are urging the three-time champion to take time off if he needs to. He's currently listed as day-to-day, but he could miss some time going forward. Last season, James missed 17 straight games due to a left groin injury. This injury is on the right side of his groing, according to ESPN.
“I felt healthy going into the game,” James said, via ESPN's Dave McMenamin. “I got kneed in the groin taking a charge from Pat Bev, and it kind of set me right back to where I was five days ago.”
Lakers’ LeBron James: “I felt healthy going into the game. The second or third defensive possession, I got kneed in the groin taking a charge from Pat Beverley. That kind of sent me back to where I was five days ago.” pic.twitter.com/KHWoCjyMZQ
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) December 26, 2019
Three-point shooting was an issue for the Lakers in Wednesday's game. As a team, Los Angeles finished with a 12-of-45 (26.7%) mark from downtown. This has already led to trade rumors, with experts calling for more shooters. Whether or not team management feels the same way remains to be seen.
The Lakers are scheduled to play in a back-to-back set starting on Saturday (at Portland). When asked if he'd be available, James said: “We'll see what happens.”
“To be honest, I haven't even thought about Portland just yet,” said James, who will turn 35 next week. “I'm always around the clock with my body, getting my treatment. If I'm feeling great, I'll be in the lineup. If I'm feeling well, I'll be in the lineup.
“We'll see what happens.”
There is no need for panic, as the season is still relatively young. Should the Lakers be concerned, though? Yes.
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