Sure, the Clippers have beaten the Lakers in seven consecutive regular-season meetings. In Summer League play, however, the Lakers can claim a winning streak.
They followed last season’s two-point victory in the clash-of-L.A.-in-Las-Vegas with an 83-72 victory over the Clippers on Tuesday night at Thomas & Mack Center.
Mason Jones’ 15 points and 10 rebounds gave the Lakers their first win in Las Vegas and a 3-3 overall record this summer – they went 2-1 in the four-team California Classic in San Francisco earlier this month. The Clippers fell to 1-1 in Las Vegas.
The Lakers had three other players score in double figures – Javante McCoy (17), Sacha Killeya-Jones (11) and Nate Pierre-Louis (10) – as 35th-overall draft pick Max Christie hit a dagger 3-pointer from the corner to put his side ahead, 76-68, with 1:41 left.
After trailing by as many as 12 points early on, the Lakers broke open a 62-62 tie entering the fourth quarter by outscoring the Clippers 21-10 in the final period of a game broadcast on ESPN.
For the game, the Clippers were outscored 38-28 in the paint and proved shaky at the line, where they earned 33 free throws but made only 20 of them.
Brandon Boston Jr. and Jay Scrubb led the Clippers with 15 points apiece, though neither proved especially efficient, shooting 3 for 12 and 4 for 11 from the field, respectively. Scrubb was involved in an awkward collision with second-round pick Moussa Diabaté late in the game beneath the Clippers’ basket, but both players were able to continue playing.
The Lakers’ next game is Friday at 8 p.m. against New Orleans (ESPN 2). The Clippers play again Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Denver (NBA TV).
