Clippers Beat Lakers 116-109 in Season Opener

Kawhi Leonard in 2017
Kawhi Leonard at a fan meeting in 2017. Photo by Shutterstock (9017082p)

After an emotional championship ring ceremony, the Los Angeles Lakers had their opening night spoiled by their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers.

The defending champions, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, fought a hard battle but clearly didn’t want the victory as badly as the Clippers did.

The Clippers came out of the gate strong, leading the Lakers at the end of the first quarter 39-19. But their massive lead wasn’t meant to last, with the Lakers clapping back with a dominant quarter of their own. At halftime, the score was neck in neck at 56-54.

Paul George led the Clippers’ second-half dominance, scoring 26 out of the 33 points he scored on the night. Superstar Kawhi Leonard chipped in with 26 points of his own.

The Lakers’ James and Davis chipped in 22 and 18 points, respectively, which isn’t great for their usual standards. However, one silver lining for the Lakers lay in the performance of their new acquisitions this summer. Montrezl Harrell, a former Clipper big man, put up 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Lake Show, while Dennis Schroder added 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists.

Nevertheless, these valiant efforts from the new Laker pickups weren’t enough to overcome the Clippers’ impressive first outing this season.

The final score was 116-109 in favor of the Clippers, which should give them a real confidence boost after their upset elimination in last season’s playoffs.