LOS ANGELES – Luka Doncic had 43 points, 13 assists and 9 rebounds and LeBron James added 25 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' fifth straight victory, 135-118 over the LA Clipperson on Tuesday night.
Doncic matched his season high with 32 points in the first half, marking his 51st 40-point game of his career. He narrowly missed his 10th career 40-point triple-double, but the Lakers secured their bracket with their third straight NBA Cup win.
Austin Reaves had 31 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who won 11 of 13.
The 40-year-old James also looked more like himself in the third game of his unprecedented 23rd NBA season, scoring 16 second-half points as the Lakers steadily pulled away.
James Harden continued his scoring streak with 29 points and nine assists for the Clippers, who have lost 11 of 13. Kawhi Leonard scored 19 points in his second game after a ten-game injury layoff.
The crosstown rivals' first meeting of the season was thrown into disarray when Clippers guard Kris Dunn was sent off with 3:33 left in the game after knocking Doncic to the ground with a blow to his back. Doncic confronted Dunn, who shoved the ball into Doncic's chest before Lakers center Jaxson Hayes shoved Dunn in the back. Dunn then punched Hayes, who was also assessed a technical foul.
Doncic began his highest-scoring quarter of the season, making his first five 3-point attempts — after missing 17 of 22 in his previous two games — and scoring 20 points in the first eight minutes. He also led a series of trash talks and staredowns on the Clippers' bench, continuing a semi-friendly feud with LA's second team that predated his move to the Lakers.br/]
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