LA Lakers End Losing Skid With Win Against Clippers; Chris Paul Misses Another Game Due to Injury
The Los Angeles Lakers redeem themselves after winning the Christmas game against the Los Angels Clippers, 111-102, Sunday night. The Lakers, entering Sunday's game with 12 of their 13 past games ending at a loss, took advantage of the Clippers, who have some of their key players sidelined.
Trailing for the entire first half, the Lakers took over the second half by taking the lead early on the third quarter. They were able to maintain the lead, outscoring the Clippers 34-16, widening the gap as far as 18 points. The Lakers head to the fourth quarter with a 15-point lead, and held on it until the final buzzer. According to ESPN, the team also ends their losing streak against the Clippers, whom they haven't won against since the opening game of the 2013-2014 season.
Nick Young and Timofey Mozgov led the charge for the Lakers, scoring 19 apiece for the 16-time NBA Champions. D'Angelo Russel and Lou Williams added 14 points each, being part of the seven players who scored double digits for the team.
J.J. Redick, on the other hand, scored 22 points for the Clippers, before resting on the fourth due to a sore left hamstring. Jamal Crawford and DeAndre Jordan contributed 22 and 7 points respectively, in an effort to cover up for their missing top scorers.
Chris Paul, though wanted to play on Sunday, was still sidelined due to a Hamstring injury. Blake Griffin is also out for the team, as he just had an arthoscopic knee surgery and would need 4-6 weeks to get back in shape. As Fox Sports notes, Griffin and Paul average a combined 38.8 points per game for the Clippers, which was truly felt in Sunday's loss.
The Lakers are at fourth place in the Pacific Standings, only above Phoenix Suns. They will be up against the visiting Utah Jazz on Tuesday. As for the Clippers, standing on second place in the Pacific, they will host the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
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