One of the most anticipated clashes of the NBA season is upon us, as the Clippers take on the Lakers for the bragging rights in the City of Angels. This matchup comes at a crucial junction in the season, as 2018 MVP winner James Harden has just joined the Clippers in a much-anticipated move from the Philadelphia 76ers, making them one of the leading candidates to come out of the Western Conference. Both teams are expected to make the playoffs this season and contend for a spot in the Finals among the stacked competition in the West. make no mistake: this is going to be a cracking game to watch, as two giants of the recent NBA era, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, go head-to-head.
Since the start of the season, both sides have had their ups and downs, with the Clippers’ and Lakers’ records standing at 3-1 and 2-2, respectively. The lakers need to pick up the pace, as their two wins so far have been very close and could easily have gone the other way, especially against the Orlando Magic. Fans won’t be too worried though, as the Lakers started 2-10 last season, only to then make it all the way to the Conference Finals against the eventual champions Denver Nuggets. One player that will certainly need to improve if they are to defeat their rivals is Austin Reaves, who started the season rather poorly, shooting just 35% from the floor so far.
On the Clippers side, it is still unknown whether James Harden will feature tonight, as he only arrived in Los Angeles yesterday. Kawhi and Paul George will have their hands full with LeBron James, while Westbrook will look to perform against the side that traded him last year. Center Ivica Zubac will be vital in this encounter: if he manages to limit Anthony Davis to around 20 points or less, the Clipper have a massive chance of victory. The most amazing statistic about this matchup is that the Clipper have won 11 straight games against the Lakers, and we see that streak continuing tonight in the fight for the City of Angels, even though it will likely be a very close and entertaining game.
