By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Los Angeles Lakers erased a double-digit deficit from the first half to dominate the final two quarters, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 125–117 at crypto.com Arena on Friday. The turnaround pushed them to 2–0 in the 2026–27 NBA Regular Season.
Austin Reaves led everyone with 28 points, pacing the second-half surge. Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic provided the engine, despite committing a career-high 11 turnovers, scoring 23 points on 8-of-21 from the floor, including three triples. He stayed on the floor for 37 minutes, adding seven assists, six rebounds, and a block to secure the second straight win to start the 82-game schedule.
JJ Redick’s bench offered 25 points. Georgian reserve Sandro Mamukelashvili chipped in seven, missing only one shot from the field. He also grabbed five rebounds and generated two assists during his 23 minutes. Starting center Walker Kessler put in 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting and six blocks, with Ziaire Williams among six double-digit scorers at 14 points.
On the losing side, Spanish Baba Miller and Nick Martinelli, who is of Italian descent, never checked into the game. Also, Swiss big Yanic Konan Niederhauser remained sidelined, recovering from right Lisfranc surgery. Darius Garland registered a team-high 26 points, while Brook Lopez got 15 of his 22 points in the first half and former Laker Rui Hachimura returned with 16 points.
Resuming action on Sunday, the Lakers visit the Utah Jazz at Delta Center and the Clippers take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center.
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