Next time, it will count
Lakers, Clippers end exhibition slate with little star power.
It was a nationally televised game on TNT, with the expectation that the masses would see the star power from the Clippers and Lakers.
Instead, what fans from around the nation and those inside Staples Center got to watch Friday night were players from the Clippers who wouldn’t be recognized without a program during their 111-104 loss to the Lakers
in both teams’ final exhibition game before 16,711 fans.
They will meet in the regularseason opener Thursday.
The Lakers stayed with mostly familiar faces, aside from rookie point guard Lonzo Ball, who missed his fourth straight game with a sprained left ankle.
As for the Clippers, they sat Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Milos Teodosic and Lou Williams. All of them had played in the previous four exhibitions and they were given time off instead of playing in back-to-back games.
The Clippers already were without injured players Danilo Gallinari, Austin Rivers, Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker and Sindarius Thornwell.
So Clippers coach Doc Rivers started rookie Jawun Evans and Tyrone Wallace in the backcourt, C.J. Williams and Wesley Johnson at forward and Montrezl Harrell at center.
Still, Rivers had a 10-man rotation to go at Lakers coach Luke Walton’s regulars like Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr., Brook Lopez, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Julius Randle.
Evans had 22 points and eight assists and Wallace had 23 points and five assists.
“They played great too,” Rivers said. “I enjoyed the game. I enjoyed how hard our guys played. They were playing against their guys and kind of held their own. That was nice for our guys.”
For the Lakers, Lopez led the way with 16 points and Ingram and Randle, who left with back spasms, both had 15.
Rookie Kyle Kuzma struggled to a one-for-eight night, scoring eight points.
The Clippers will take Saturday off and then return to practice Sunday with what they hope will be an entire healthy team as they prepare for the season opener.
Gallinari, who has missed the last three games since his injury, is looking forward to practice and the regular season.
“It’s a long season,” Gallinari said as he walked down the hallway. “But I’ll be ready for the opener Thursday against the Lakers.”
Etc.
Clippers president Lawrence Frank said the team will wait until the deadline of Oct. 31 before making a decision on whether to pick up the third-year option on forward Brice Johnson. Johnson, who will earn $1.31 million this season, is due to make $1.54 million next season if the Clippers pick up his option. If not, Johnson will become a free agent. “We’re encouraged with what we see from Brice,” Frank said. “But our plan always has been to wait until the end.” ... The Clippers signed guard Ike Iroegbu to play on their Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario team, which is in the NBA’s development league. Iroegbu, who averaged 12.6 points on 45.1% shooting last season at Washington State and who didn’t have his name on his jersey after arriving just before the game, scored seven points in 17 minutes.