Luka Doncic scored 38 points with 11 assists and Austin Reaves added 29 points as the Los Angeles Lakers used a full complement of stars to earn a 125-122 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.
LeBron James added 13 points with 11 assists as the Lakers’ star trio played together for just the 11th time this season and fourth time since mid-December. Doncic returned after missing four games before the All-Star break with a hamstring injury.
The Lakers improved to 5-2 since Feb. 3 while winning in their return from the All-Star break.
Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 26 for the Clippers. They both departed in the closing minutes as Leonard left with ankle soreness with 5:10 remaining and Mathurin fouled out with 1:49 left.
The Clippers led 109-107 with 6:11 remaining after a 3-pointer from Leonard before the Lakers went up 112-109 with 5:11 left on a 3-pointer from Doncic. That was part of a 7-0 run which gave the Lakers a 114-109 lead with 4:34 remaining.
Doncic helped the Lakers seal the victory with five points over the final 1:30.
Nicolas Batum missed a potential game-tying 3-point attempt for the Clippers with four seconds remaining after a steal.
The Clippers shot 54.9% from the floor as they rallied from a 15-point deficit in the third quarter before falling short. The Lakers shot 51.8% overall and 54.8% from 3-point range in the victory.
After a hot-shooting first half for both teams, the Lakers took a 72-65 lead into the break by going 66.7% from the floor as Doncic scored 22 points. Doncic leads the NBA with at least 20 points in a half 28 times this season.
Leonard scored 21 points as the Clippers shot 56.8% from the floor in the first half.
In addition to losing Leonard and Mathurin late in the game, Clippers starting forward John Collins did not return after he was undercut by the Lakers’ Jaxson Hayes in the second quarter and hit his head on the court.
