For many years dating back to the early 2010s, the Los Angeles Clippers won the majority of their games against the Los Angeles Lakers, which represented a reversal from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, when the Lakers usually had their way with the Clippers. But in the three seasons before this one, order was restored in this matchup, as the Lakers took eight of 12 games from the Clippers.
On Friday, these two squads met for the first time in the 2026-27 campaign. Early on, it looked like perhaps the Clippers, who are expected to be one of the NBA's worst teams this season, would claw their way to a victory, as they went up by as many as 11 points in the second quarter.
The Lakers, however, fought back to tie the game at 64 at halftime, and they then won the third quarter 39-26 and went up 112-97 with just over eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Clippers fought to the end by pressuring the Purple and Gold defensively in the backcourt, leading to a lot of turnovers. But they were equally as bad with their own ball security, and the Lakers were able to prevail, 125-117, to improve to 2-0.
Although this wasn't a low-scoring game, it was marred by turnovers. The Lakers had 21 of them and forced the Clippers into 26 giveaways. But when they weren't throwing the ball away, the Lakers were efficient offensively. They shot 58.2% from the field and 43.8% from 3-point range while notching 29 assists on 46 made baskets. On the other end, they showed terrific effort, especially when it came to trapping players with the ball on the perimeter and making efforts to block shots.
The Lakers will now prepare for their first road game of the new season, which will take place Sunday afternoon versus the Utah Jazz.
Ziaire Williams: A-minus
Williams made five of his seven shot attempts and one of his three 3-point tries to score 14 points in 31 minutes. He also added five rebounds, two steals and one block.
He is doing a good job of running the floor in transition offense, and defensively, he is applying pressure and making plays on the ball. Creating more pressure on the perimeter defensively has been a big emphasis for the Lakers, and Williams will continue to help plenty in that regard.
Matisse Thybulle: A-minus
Thybulle is another Lakers wing who is helping to make their defense look revitalized. He also had two steals and one block, and he had an impressive defensive highlight in the first half when he stripped the ball away from Rui Hachimura on a fast break and prevented an easy basket. It seemed as if Thybulle had more than two steals and one block, as he was a definite irritant on the defensive end in the 24 minutes he was on the court.
On the other end, he shot 5-of-8 overall and 3-of-6 from 3-point range to score 14 points while also contributing one rebound and two assists.
Walker Kessler: A
This was another super impressive outing from the Lakers' new starting center. As he did in the team's 127-105 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, Kessler got open with regularity in the paint, and his teammates found him. He also made the effort to run the floor in transition, and as a result, he ended up with 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting.
He was arguably even more impressive on the defensive end, where he ended up with six blocks and three steals, living up to his nickname "The Sheriff." Kessler also grabbed eight rebounds in 35 minutes.
Austin Reaves: A-minus
Reaves was the Lakers' main offensive threat throughout this game. Time and time again, he penetrated into the paint and got relatively easy shot opportunities, and there was nothing the Clippers could do about it.
He ended up making 10 of his 13 overall shot attempts while going three of five from beyond the arc and 5-of-6 from the free throw line, giving him a game-high 28 points. He also dished off nine assists and generally shredded the Clippers' defense while also chipping in two steals and two rebounds.
Luka Doncic: C-minus
This was an off night for Doncic. He got off to a slow start in this game and missed eight of his first 10 shot attempts, although he did have five assists in the first quarter. His shooting improved afterward, and he ended up going 8-of-21 overall, but he was just 2-of-8 from 3-point land. He did have seven assists, six rebounds and one block.
But Doncic had 11 turnovers after committing six of them on Wednesday. Reaves had six turnovers himself on Friday, and this is a continuation of a big problem the Lakers had in the preseason. This is something to keep a close eye on moving forward, as it will cost them some games they should win otherwise unless they rectify this issue.
Quentin Grimes: A-minus
Grimes provided some scoring punch off the bench with 13 points on 3-of-6 overall shooting and 3-of-5 on 3-point attempts in 31 minutes. He stepped up in the rebounding department with eight boards, and he also had four assists, two steals and one block.
Sandro Mamukelashvili: B-minus
Mamukelashvili made a decent contribution in 24 minutes off the bench with seven points on 3-of-4 shooting, five rebounds and two assists.
Collin Sexton: C-plus
In his Lakers debut (he missed each preseason game and Wednesday's contest with a soleus strain), Sexton made two of his six field-goal attempts and scored five points, to go along with two assists, one rebound and three steals. He played aggressive perimeter defense and showed plenty of energy on that end of the floor.
Once he gets into game shape and develops a basic level of chemistry with his new teammates, Sexton will be a sizable asset for the Lakers.
Kevon Looney: Incomplete
In five minutes, Looney had one rebound and didn't attempt a single shot.
This article originally appeared on Lakers Wire: Lakers player grades: Lakers get past Clippers, improve to 2-0