The Lakers’ response after Tuesday’s 136-129 loss to Portland showed up right away.
Walker Kessler said the team’s defensive problems had to be addressed, even with an offense that has been humming early. Through four games, that attack ranked second in the NBA, but Kessler made it clear that kind of production can’t carry everything.
“We’ve been relying on our offense a lot,” Kessler said, per Nguyen. “And we have a very, very good offense and a lot of great scorers. But that’s not gonna be the only thing that gets us to win a championship here.”
That message carried over into Wednesday’s meeting with the Clippers, when Los Angeles played without starters Luka Doncic and Ziaire Williams and tightened things up on the other end. The Lakers held their cross-town opponent to 87 points, the lowest total any Lakers opponent has posted this season.
Jarred Vanderbilt was part of that defensive reset in his first appearance of the year. After sitting as a DNP-CD in each of the Lakers’ first four games, Vanderbilt logged 21 minutes, didn’t score, grabbed seven rebounds and helped Los Angeles outscore the Clippers by 22 while he was on the floor. He also filled in as Kessler’s backup at center.
“He’s always going to be ready for whenever his name is called,” Collin Sexton said. “But that just shows a true professional.”
Sexton had his best outing yet for the Lakers, finishing with 21 points in 21 minutes and a team-high plus-23. He signed a two-year, $19MM deal with Los Angeles over the summer, and his energy has already made an impression. Dan Woike of The Athletic reported that coach JJ Redick said he loves the “competitive fire” Sexton brings, while Kessler said a viral clip of Sexton’s defensive expressions looked “like a horror movie.”
Rui Hachimura also came up around the Lakers on Wednesday, though from the Clippers side and not on the floor. Before the game, Hachimura spoke with Khobi Price of The California Post about free agency and repeated that his preference would’ve been to stay in Los Angeles.
“It’s on them,” Hachimura said. “It wasn’t me.
It was them. … It was tough.
That’s my second free agency. Of course I was trying to get the extension from (the Lakers).
It didn’t work out, but it is what it is. We have to move on at some point.
… I’m happy that I’m here (with the Clippers).”
Beyond the game itself, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported on the Lakers’ sale agreement, describing how the deal came together within 72 hours after speaking with more than a dozen team insiders, league executives and other sources. Shelburne also examined what the future may hold for current governor Jeanie Buss, who was “stunned” when Mark Walter decided to sell majority control of the team to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner.
In Other News...
Clippers Got Bullied In Every Important Area Against The Lakers
The Lakers spent most of the night making the Clippers look small in the places that usually decide a game. Quentin Grimes led Los Angeles with 23 points in a 103-87 win, and the supporting cast did plenty of the heavy lifting too, with Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Matisse Thybulle and Walker Kessler all helping tilt the game in the Lakers favor. The edge showed up everywhere that mattered, from the paint to the glass to the open floor.
For the Clippers, the numbers told a frustrating story because they could not protect the ball or recover enough second-chance opportunities to keep pace. The Lakers turned the game into a physical, turnover-heavy slog and made sure the Clippers paid for every mistake, which is exactly the sort of loss that lingers because it exposes so many problems at once. How quickly the Clippers clean that up will say a lot about whether this was just a bad night or a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Leonards Raptors Season Just Took A Tough Early Turn
Kawhi Leonards new start in Toronto was already unusual, with the Raptors waiting out an NBA investigation into possible salary-cap circumvention before the trade from the Clippers was finally completed. Once the deal went through, the immediate focus shifted from the paperwork to Leonards health, and the early signs were not encouraging as swelling in his left knee forced him to the sideline right away.
The hope around the Raptors has been that Leonard can get fully right before he steps back on the floor and becomes the kind of difference-maker they brought him in to be. For now, the organization is still navigating the uncertainty that comes with a star arrival delayed by injury, and the next stretch will matter as much for patience as it does for the long-term championship picture. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Suddenly Have A Ben Sheppard Problem They Didn't Expect
The Clippers are still piecing together their own rotation picture as the road schedule approaches, with several familiar names working back from injury. Max Strus, Brandon Ingram and Yanic Konan Niederhauser are all staying in Los Angeles for rehab, leaving the team to manage depth and lineup flexibility a little longer than it would like.
There is at least one welcome note on the horizon, though. Rui Hachimura is expected to join the upcoming road trip after sitting out with left quad soreness, which gives the Clippers a chance to add another healthy body as they try to steady the group away from home. For a team already navigating absences, every returning piece matters, even if the full picture still is not quite settled. [Read more 🡒]