The Los Angeles Clippers are going for their ninth straight winning season, while the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to snap a six-year playoff drought when they open the season against one another.
The Clippers and Lakers each have high expectations with their new star-studded duos of Kawhi Leonard/Paul George and LeBron James/Anthony Davis respectively.
This highly-anticipated matchup is the second most expensive game on the market this year with an average cost of $387 on Vivid Seats.
The most expensive game this year is the Clippers and Lakers on Christmas day with an average cost of $701 on Vivid Seats.
The Christmas Day matchup is also the second most expensive game since 2013, only behind the Jazz at Lakers in 2016, Kobe Bryant’s final game ($952) as seen in the chart below.
In the two teams’ 34 years together in L.A., neither team has ever been a top-four seed in the Western Conference in the same playoffs.
They’ve also never played each other in a playoff series.
Both teams are trying to change that narrative this season.
Both teams are also missing key players for the opening night showdown, as the Clippers are without George, while the Lakers are without Kyle Kuzma.
George will miss at least the first 10 games of the season as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery, according to head coach Doc Rivers.
Kuzma will miss at least the season opener, as he recovers from a stress reaction in his left foot, according to head coach Frank Vogel.
The Clippers have a reliable second unit around Leonard and George that features 3x NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell.
The Lakers also have some reliable players around James and Davis including three-and-d players Danny Green and Avery Bradley.
Newly-acquired Dwight Howard will get the opportunity to play for a potential contender and the combination of him and Davis will provide plenty of highlights around the rim with James.
The projected starting lineups:
Clippers – Patrick Beverley, Landry Shamet, Kawhi Leonard, JaMychal Green, Ivica Zubac
Lakers – Avery Bradley, Danny Green, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee
