LeBron James emphasized the Los Angeles Lakers’ slim margin for error following their 116-102 loss to the LA Clippers on Sunday night.
After the defeat, James stated, “We don’t have a choice, that’s the way our team is constructed,” echoing head coach JJ Redick’s remarks about the team’s narrow room for mistakes.
The game, held at the Clippers’ newly opened Intuit Dome, saw the Lakers’ two-game winning streak snapped. The Clippers improved to 24-17 on the season, thanks to balanced scoring and a dominant performance in the paint.
Norman Powell led the Clippers with 22 points, while James Harden contributed 21 points and 12 assists. Kawhi Leonard, playing under a minutes restriction, added 19 points and reached 14,000 career points during the third quarter. Ivica Zubac was a force inside, finishing with 21 points and 19 rebounds.
James led the Lakers with 25 points and 11 assists, while Rui Hachimura chipped in 19 points off the bench. Anthony Davis, returning from a one-game absence due to plantar fasciitis, had 16 points and 10 rebounds but struggled against Zubac’s physicality.
The Clippers seized control in the third quarter, building a 26-point lead behind Leonard’s scoring surge. Leonard’s impact was significant, despite sitting out the fourth quarter due to his minutes restriction.
Both teams shot efficiently from the field, with the Clippers converting 52.8% of their attempts compared to the Lakers’ 50%. The Clippers hit 11 three-pointers, while the Lakers managed nine. However, turnovers plagued the Lakers, who committed 15 compared to the Clippers’ 12.
The Clippers’ bench provided valuable contributions, with Nicolas Batum scoring six points and Kevin Porter Jr. adding eight. The Lakers’ Dalton Knecht added a spark off the bench with 10 points in 16 minutes, but the team could not recover after losing the lead early in the game.
The loss drops the Lakers to 22-18 as they remain in a tight Western Conference race. James acknowledged the importance of minimizing errors, saying the Lakers need to play “close to perfect basketball” to compete against strong opponents like the Clippers.
