Clippers fans are having the last laugh after LeBron James’ pregame shot

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers finally had a chance to play in the Intuit Domethe shiny new home of the Los Angeles Clippers in Inglewood, Sunday night. Right before the game, James even boldly declared to his teammates that it was “a home game for us,” as he tried to get his team pumped up for a meeting with their former counterparts at the Cripto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center).

The Lakers fell prey to the Clippers in their first visit to the Intuit Dome

Unfortunately for James and the Lakers, the Clippers made sure to draw first blood in their first visit to the Purple & Gold at the Intuit Dome. The Clippers knocked off James and company 116-102, a lopsided score that betrayed the high level of confidence the four-time MVP showed before the Lakers’ Intuit Dome debut.

However, the Lakers’ loss was not for a lack of effort from James. In fact, the perennial NBA prodigy outscored his team with 25 points on 9-for-20 shooting from the floor to go with 11 assists and five rebounds plus three steals and a block in 35 minutes of action on the floor. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis had a poor performance, scoring just 16 points on 5-for-14 shooting but collecting 10 boards, three assists, three blocks and a steal in 37 minutes of action. Davis apparently was outplayed by Clippers big man Ivica Zubacwho had a double-double of 21 points and 19 rebounds in 35 minutes.

The Clippers used a strong first half to take command of the game. They outscored the Lakers by eight points in the first quarter and nine points in the second before withstanding attempts by the visiting team to come back in the third and fourth quarters.

Norman Powell led the Clippers with 22 points, while James Harden and Kawhi Leonard added 21 and 19 points, respectively.

The Clippers’ win over the Lakers was their fourth in a row and improved their record to 24-17. They will look to extend that streak this Monday night when they host the struggling Chicago Bulls before taking on the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.

As for the Lakers, they will have three more games in the 2024-25 NBA regular season against the Clippers, including another visit to the Intuit Dome on Feb. 4.

Reckwell Villas is an experienced sportswriter covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and college football. He holds a BA in Communication Arts from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines.