Clippers handle still-celebrating Lakers; Durant powers Nets
LOS ANGELES — Paul George scored 26 of his 33 points in the second half, Kawhi Leonard added 26 points and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied past the Los Angeles Lakers on the NBA champions’ ring ceremony night for a 116109 victory Tuesday.
George went 13 of 18 with five 3-pointers in an outstanding first game since agreeing to add four years and $190 million to his contract with the Clippers, who never trailed in the latest meeting of Southern California’s two NBA powerhouses. The Clippers beat the Lakers in the season opener for the second straight year while winning coach Tyronn Lue’s debut.
LeBron James scored 22 points and Anthony Davis had 18 for the Lakers just 72 days after they finished off the Miami Heat in the NBA bubble.
The Lakers returned from the shortest offseason in league history and
received their championship rings honoring the franchise’s 17th title, but they couldn’t keep up with George and Leonard down the stretch.
The pregame ceremony
was brief and strange without cheering fans, but the 11 returning players eagerly picked up their massive new pieces of jewelry. Lakers owner Jeanie Buss promised to hold another celebration when fans are allowed back into games.
Serge Ibaka scored 15 points in his debut for the Clippers, who hadn’t played since blowing a 3-1 playoff series lead to Denver and ruining a muchanticipated conference final showdown with the waiting Lakers in the bubble.
The Lakers fell behind by 22 points under a ring hangover in the first quarter, but they erased all but two points of the deficit in the second. The Clippers pulled away late in the third, and George dropped 11 points in the fourth to seal it.
NETS 125, WARRIORS 99
Kevin Durant looked good as new against his old team, Kyrie Irving was even better and host Brooklyn emphatically kicked off the Steve Nash era with a victory over Golden State.
Durant shook off 18 months of rust in a matter of moments and finished with 22 points in 25 minutes of his first official game since rupturing his Achilles tendon while playing for Golden State in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals.
Irving led Brooklyn with 26 points and Caris LeVert scored 20 as the Nets led by as many as 38, pouring on the points the way the Phoenix Suns did when Nash was their point guard, or more recently Golden State did when Durant was their All-Star forward.
Stephen Curry had 20 points and 10 assists for the Warriors, a depleted team that looks nothing like the powerhouse that won two titles in Durant’s three seasons there.