National Basketball Association
L.A. Lakers 111, LA Clippers 102
When: 10:30 PM ET, Sunday, December 25, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Officials: #55 Bill Kennedy, #47 Bennie Adams, #59 Gary Zielinski
Attendance: 18997

LOS ANGELES -- If there ever was a time for the Los Angeles Lakers to beat the Los Angeles Clippers for the first time in over three seasons, Sunday night was it. With the Clippers down two All-Star players coming into the contest and losing a third starter during the game, the youthful Lakers used a strong second half to put the streak to rest.

Timofey Mozgov and Nick Young scored 19 points as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 111-102 on Sunday.

The Lakers' (12-22) victory broke an 11-game losing streak against the Clippers (22-10), who were missing Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and lost J.J. Redick to injury during the game. The win also snapped an overall four-game losing streak for the Lakers. It was their first victory over the Clippers since Oct. 29, 2013.

The Lakers shot 47.6 percent (40-84) from the field and used a balanced attack for the victory. Seven Lakers reached double figures in scoring for the first time this season, including Luol Deng, who registered 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The Clippers were led by Redick and Jamal Crawford with 22 points. Redick left the contest after three quarters with a sore left hamstring. The Clippers have lost three of their last five contests and after opening the season 14-2 they have gone 8-8.

Despite the offensive production by the Lakers, coach Luke Walton pointed to their second-half defensive effort as the determining factor in the triumph.

"We turned our effort up in the third quarter, especially defensively," Walton said. "Our transition defense was terrible in the first half. This is a good win for the group."

The long losing streak against a team that shares Staples Center with them has not gone unnoticed for the Lakers. Winning in this fashion was a nice holiday gift for Nick Young.

"It feels good to finally beat that team particularly on Christmas," said Young. "We found our rhythm and being home after a tough road trip helped. It doesn't matter who is out, a win is a win."

The injury list continues to grow for the Clippers at an especially tough time. They play four more games before the end of the month and the short-term prognosis for Paul and Redick doesn't help.

"Chris said that after talking to the doctors before the game, it was decided that he would miss the next two games," Rivers said. "We're going thru a tough stretch right now and need to play better regardless of injuries."

Redick gave a post-game update that did not give clarity to the length of his absence.

"I would describe it as mild, day-to-day thing," Redick said. "It could be a day, could be seven. I don't know."

The Clippers opened the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run to cut the margin to four points with 8:20 in the contest but could get no closer.

The Lakers used a decisive 34-16 third quarter, including a 15-2 spurt in the opening five minutes, to forge a commanding 89-74 lead. The Lakers shot 52 percent (13-25) in the third frame, led by Mozgov's 12 points, including 5 of 6 from the floor. The Lakers defense held the Clippers to only 33.3 percent shooting (6-18) in the quarter.

The Clippers maintained the lead at 58-55 at halftime with Redick tacking on seven points to his strong first quarter to lead the Clippers with 19 points. Young registered 11 points in the quarter, including three 3-pointers to keep the Lakers close after two quarters.

The Clippers took a 31-27 lead after one quarter, led by Redick's 12 points. Both teams shot well in the opening 12 minutes with the Clippers hitting at a 53.8 percent rate (14-27) while the Lakers posted 52.4 percent from the floor (12-22). The Lakers closed out the quarter on a 9-2 run highlighted by Thomas Robinson's buzzer-beater shot.

NOTES: Clippers G Chris Paul was a late scratch after Doc Rivers announced he would start the game in his pre-game press conference. A team spokesperson said Paul's injured hamstring bothered him during warmup and he decided that rest would be best. It's the second straight game Paul has missed after getting injured on Dec. 22 against San Antonio. ... The Clippers continue a grueling pre-2017 stretch against Denver Monday. The Clippers play five games in seven nights including a three-game road trip to New Orleans, Houston and Oklahoma City to finish the year. ... Lakers coach Luke Walton reported F Larry Nance, who was injured Dec. 20 at Charlotte, was examined prior to the game by team physician Dr. David McAllister of UCLA Health. He was diagnosed with a bone bruise on his left knee and is expected to be out approximately four weeks. ... The Lakers continue their five-game homestand against Utah on Tuesday. ... The Lakers entered the game with an 11-game losing streak against the Clippers.
Top Game Performances
 
LA Clippers   L.A. Lakers
Jamal Crawford 22 Scoring Timofey Mozgov 19
Raymond Felton 6 Assists Julius Randle 8
Raymond Felton 10 Rebounds Luol Deng 12
Jamal Crawford 7 Free Throws Made Luol Deng 5
Raymond Felton 2 Steals Luol Deng 2
Raymond Felton 2 Blocks Luol Deng 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
LA Clippers 102 43.5 10-29 18-22 24 42 5 9 16
L.A. Lakers 111 47.6 8-25 23-30 18 48 3 7 14
Upcoming Games
  • L.A. Lakers will play their next game at home against Utah. The Lakers have a W/L % of .273 after a win and .391 after a loss.
  • LA Clippers will play their next game at home against Denver. The Clippers have a W/L % of .739 after a win and .556 after a loss.