The much-anticipated Battle of Los Angeles has already booked its first showdown for the upcoming basketball season.
The Lakers and the Clippers are set to collide on Oct. 20 inside the Crypto.com Arena (h/t Shams Charania of The Athletic). Barring no injuries from their star players, it will mark the first meeting between LeBron James-Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard-Paul George since Dec. 20, 2020.
In their last Christmas show in 2019, the Clips prevailed against the Lakeshow via come from behind 111-106 dub behind Leonard’s heroic 35 markers, 12 boards and five dimes. James had 23 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds on the losing effort.
Both Lakers and the Clippers have endured a challenging 2021-2022 season, wherein they weren’t able to punch a postseason ticket. The Purple and Gold crumbled from a big-time disappointment despite having Russell Westbrook in their lineup, while the Clippers have missed Leonard’s presence for the whole season due to his ACL recovery.
But the 2022-2023 season offers optimism on both sides, as the Lakers will now be under the new leadership of Darvin Ham. The Clippers, meanwhile, are expected to go all in and compete for a title upon the acquisition of John Wall and the looming return of Leonard.
As days go by, more important games will be revealed by key sources for the new basketball year.
