Lakers Cross Town to Face Rival Clippers

Your Los Angeles Lakers head across the city to the Intuit Dome for the second battle of LA this season. In their first matchup against the Clippers, the Lakers won 135-118 at home.

The Lakers look to hand the Clippers their 11th loss in 12 games 💀 pic.twitter.com/tVlOmN0OwK

— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) December 20, 2025

The Lakers’ little brothers have struggled mightily this year, sitting in the cellar of the Western Conference with a 6-21 record. Their roster has failed to meet expectations, and big changes are expected to come soon for the team.

This shouldn’t be a guaranteed win as the Lakers are dealing with a multitude of injuries, and they tend to play well against us.

Injuries piling up

The Lakers will be shorthanded tonight with three different starters already ruled out. Austin Reaves is dealing with a calf injury that has held him out of the last two games. He is expected to be reevaluated soon.

Deandre Ayton has also been ruled out with an elbow injury after also missing Thursday’s game against the Jazz. The third starter ruled out earlier today is Rui Hachimura, as he nurses a groin injury. They will also be without backup point guard Gabe Vincent, who is healing from a back injury.

The team will need their bench to step up in their place. The Lakers rank last in the league in bench scoring, so this is a good opportunity for some players to prove their place in the rotation. Marcus Smart, Jake Laravia, and Jaxon Hayes should now be expected to start.

Luka Magic

While the Lakers will need others to take on a bigger role tonight, the team is still in good hands with their superstar, Luka Doncic. Doncic leads the league in scoring, averaging 35.2 points per game.

He is building an MVP resume, coming off a 45-point triple-double in a win against the Utah Jazz on Thursday. Luka has been carrying the offense consistently throughout the season, and we should expect big numbers again from him tonight.

Limiting The Clippers

While the Lakers’ rivals have struggled this season, they still boast two star players in Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. The team also has a solid nucleus around these two, making their disappointing season somewhat surprising.

Jarred Vanderbilt should receive increased minutes as one of the Lakers’ better defenders. He will likely be assigned to Harden or Leonard.

If the team can remain aggressive and consistently attack the boards, they will leave the Dome with a W.

Final Thoughts

The Lakers need to keep stacking wins amid the gauntlet of the Western Conference, and there’s nearly no sweeter victory than beating their cross-town rivals. The team is 19-7 and currently sits at the four seed in the West. If they come out on top tonight, they will be tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the three seed.

They are 1.5-point favorites and look to hand the Clippers their 11th loss in 12 games.

Tip-off is set for 7:30 PT.