Clippers silence the Lakers’ faithful

Dennis J. Freeman
3 min readJan 20, 2025

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Clippers silence the Lakers' faithful

A rare sighting in Los Angeles, there was more blue and red in the stands than purple and gold for a Lakers versus Clippers game. The boos overshadowed the cheers at the Intuit Dome when LeBron James was announced before tipoff, and the Clippers stormed their way to a 116–102 victory over their crosstown rival.

It marked the first time the Lakers made the short trip to Inglewood as the visitors in Steve Ballmer’s new $2 billion arena, and the Clippers made sure to let them know who owns the keys to the castle.

For years, the Clippers’ “home games” against the other LA team were dominated by Lakers fans, but a new era of basketball has arrived in the city.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) scored 19 points to help lead his team to a 116–102 win against the Los Angeles Lakers at Intuit Dome on Jan. 19, 2025. Photo credit: Melinda Meijer/News4usonline

“It felt like home. From the start of the games, our fans were into it. During the introductions, they were booing the Lakers.” said Ty Lue. “It feels good to have a place to call home that is yours.”

The Clippers might still be the “Little Brother” franchise, but they have established their own identity and are simply a better basketball team right now. They are a game and a half ahead of the Lakers in the standings, and that is having played without Kawhi Leonard for a majority of the season.

“It still feels new,” said Lue. “Ballmer said he was going to tear it down and build another arena when we lost the first four games, but we got comfortable, and our fans have been fantastic being patient. We have been up and down a little bit, but I give our team credit for sticking with it and finding ways to win.”

The Clippers have won 15 of their last 17 games at home and have outscored their opponents by 110 points in their last four games at the Intuit Dome.

The stars for LA showed up against the Lakers as Leonard, James Harden, and Norman Powell combined to score 62 points, but Ivica Zubac is continuing to establish himself as one of the most important players on the roster. Against his former team, Zubac scored 21 points, grabbed 19 rebounds, and blocked three shots.

“He is patient now in the post,” said Leonard. He is able to make quick moves. He is scoring over double teams at times and making the right reads. He is also being very aggressive in attacking on the defensive end, getting blocks and rebounds. He keeps growing and getting more opportunities out there.”

James Harden scored 21 points and had 12 assists as the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 116–102, at Intuit Dome on Jan. 19, 2025. Photo credit: Melinda Meijer/News4usonline

Zubac is playing both ends of the floor while filling every category on the stat sheet. He is playing the best basketball of his career and has earned the trust of his teammates to be one of the go-to players in the offense.

“Probably (a little extra motivation) for him,” said Lue on Zubac playing against the team that drafted him. “Coming out of a timeout before, how many times would we have posted up with Zu, and he gets the three-point play when the lead was cut down to eleven? Just the confidence we have in him and the confidence the players have in him. He is going to keep building and getting better.”

Everything is clicking right now for the Clippers, and there has never been a more exciting period of time for the organization. From the culture to the play on the court, it feels like they are starting to build something special in LA.

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Dennis J. Freeman
Dennis J. Freeman

Written by Dennis J. Freeman

The storyteller. More than a journalist. I write about sports and social justice. Editor of News4usonline.com and Black Sports United. Howard University alum.

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