LA Clippers @ Los Angeles Lakers
Friday, February 28, 2025 at 10:00 PM ET
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA | Game ID: 22400859
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
LAL 24 35 24 23 106LAC 25 29 23 25 102
ESPN UpdateESPN Update
Luka Doncic scores 31 on his birthday, and the Lakers beat the Clippers 106-102 for 5 straight wins
LOS ANGELES -- — Luka Doncic scored 31 points on his 26th birthday and LeBron James had 28 points and 13 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers ' fifth straight victory, 106-102 over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
Doncic scored 10 points in the fourth quarter of a gritty performance by the Lakers, who were missing two injured starters on the second night of a back-to-back home set. They still won their city rivalry game with strong defense and Doncic's playmaking, finally holding on for their 11th win in 13 games.
Ivica Zubac had a season-high 27 points and 16 rebounds for the Clippers, who have lost four of five since the All-Star break. Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points, and James Harden had 18 in a 5-for-22 shooting performance, including 1-for-10 on 3-pointers.
After struggling with his shot again for three quarters, Doncic hit consecutive 3-pointers midway through the fourth to stretch the lead to 10 points.
Takeaways Clippers: Undone by 18 turnovers in their first game back in LA since Feb. 12, Zubac's standout effort against the Lakers' undersized frontcourt wasn't enough.
Lakers: An impressive performance with minimal rest and a depleted lineup. Austin Reaves left in the first quarter with calf soreness, while Rui Hachimura sat out after straining his left knee Thursday. Coach JJ Redick said he's “optimistic” Hachimura's injury isn't serious.
Key moment The Lakers' lead was only four when Doncic hit James for a layup with 2:14 left. After Harden missed two clean 3-point attempts, Doncic found Jaxson Hayes for a dunk and a 106-98 lead.
Key stat Doncic is sixth in NBA history in points scored before his 26th birthday (12,205). James is first (16,081), while Doncic finished just 10 points behind fifth-place Kobe Bryant (12,215).
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
LACAC A. Coffey
BB B. Bogdanović
BS B. Simmons
DJ D. Jones Jr.
IZ I. Zubac
JH J. Harden
KD K. Dunn
KL K. Leonard
NB N. Batum
LALAR A. Reaves
DF D. Finney-Smith
DK D. Knecht
GV G. Vincent
JG J. Goodwin
JH J. Hayes
JV J. Vanderbilt
LD L. Dončić
LJ L. James
TJ T. Jemison III
LAC/LAL the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur