Davis, LeBron lead Lakers in showdown over Clippers
ANTHONY Davis had 30 points and 8 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the host Los Angeles Clippers' 6-game winning streak with a 112-103 victory on Sunday.
LeBron James added 28 points, 9 assists and 7 boards for the Lakers, who won their fourth straight and 11th in 12 games. Avery Bradley scored a season-high 24 points, hitting 6-of-12 3-point attempts. Kyle Kuzma finished with a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with 8 points.
Paul George led the Clippers with 31 points and Kawhi Leonard had 27. Montrezl Harrell added 20 points for the Clippers, who lost for the first time to the Lakers in 3 contests this season.
The Lakers went up by as much as 12 midway through the fourth quarter before the Clippers pulled to within 107-100 after a foul shot by Marcus Morris with 1:35 remaining. James converted a pair of free throws 22 seconds later for a 9-point Lakers' cushion and added a 3-point play with 40.8 seconds left to seal it.
The Lakers took a 64-58 edge after Bradley's 3-pointer with 6:45 left in the third quarter before the Clippers came back with a 10-1 surge for 66-65 lead after a 3-pointer by George at 5:31. However, the Lakers seized an 85-81 lead heading into the fourth quarter. They never trailed again.
The Lakers led 27-25 after one quarter before the Clippers went up by as much as 9 in the second. They used a 12-3 run for a 45-36 advantage after 2 free throws by Ivica Zubac with 5:15 remaining in the second quarter. However, the Lakers rallied and sliced the margin to 53-49 at the break.
Defense dictated for much of the first half. The Clippers managed just 38.8 percent shooting from the field to 37.2 percent for the Lakers. Both clubs made only 2 of 14 3-pointers (14.3 percent).
For the game, the Lakers made 44.8 percent of their shots to 39.5 percent for the Clippers.