INGLEWOOD — The Los Angeles Lakers gave JJ Redick the defensive response he wanted, holding the LA Clippers to 35.1 percent shooting in a 103-87 win Wednesday night at Intuit Dome.
Los Angeles played without Luka Dončić, who was ruled out before the game because of back tightness, and Ziaire Williams. The Lakers did not replace Dončić’s scoring with one huge individual performance. They won with defense, rebounding and enough offense from a group that had to take on different roles.
Quentin Grimes led the Lakers with 23 points and five assists. Collin Sexton scored 21 off the bench, while Austin Reaves had 16 points and six rebounds. Matisse Thybulle added 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including four 3-pointers.
Lakers answer Redick’s challenge on defense
The timing of the performance stood out. One night earlier, Portland shot 59 percent and handed the Lakers their first loss of the season, 136-129. Redick said afterward that 129 points at home should be enough to win and that the Lakers needed to be able to rely on their defense.
They did against the Clippers.
The Lakers held their crosstown opponent to 26-of-74 shooting and forced 24 turnovers. Those mistakes became 31 Los Angeles points. The Lakers also finished with a 26-6 advantage in fast-break scoring and outrebounded the Clippers 56-47.
Derrick Jones Jr. scored 15 points to lead the Clippers. Darius Garland had 14 points and five assists, while rookie Keaton Wagler scored 21 off the bench. No other Clippers player reached double figures.
A balanced night without Luka Dončić
The Lakers did not shoot especially well themselves. They went 35-of-79 from the field and made only nine of 31 attempts from 3-point range. Reaves struggled through a 6-of-16 night and committed eight turnovers.
But the production came from enough places. Sandro Mamukelashvili finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. Walker Kessler added 11 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Jarred Vanderbilt did not score, but he grabbed seven rebounds and finished a team-best plus-22 in 21 minutes.
Los Angeles took control in the second quarter, outscoring the Clippers 31-16 to build a 56-38 halftime lead. The margin reached 23 points, and the Clippers never made a serious run after halftime.
Lakers vs. Clippers quarter-by-quarter scoring
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakers | 25 | 31 | 29 | 18 | 103 |
| Clippers | 22 | 16 | 28 | 21 | 87 |
The Lakers improved to 4-1 and swept the two-game early-season set against the Clippers. More important for Redick, they won on a night when Dončić was unavailable and their own shots were not falling.
After Tuesday’s defensive breakdowns, this one looked much closer to the identity Redick wants.