Christmas Day

Clippers Outlast Lakers 111-106 in Christmas Day Battle for L.A.

The much-anticipated Lakers versus Clippers Christmas Day game was an old-fashioned showdown between two teams that share the same home court in STAPLES Center. It came down to the wire in front of a star-studded crowd that included comedian Kevin Hart and actor Anthony Anderson, but ultimately a few costly turnovers and questionable fouls erased the Lakers 15-point lead to give the Clippers the edge, 111-106.

Lakers’ Young Core Face Adversity in Veterans’ Absence

The Lakers’ young core consisting of Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart have spent the last seven games being forced to play without their centerpiece LeBron James and veteran point guard Rajon Rondo. Over that span, the Lakers have gone 2-5 with their only wins coming over the Kings on Dec. 30 and the Mavericks on the road Monday, Jan. 7.