LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers screams after scoring in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, March 8, 2020. /VCG
Los Angeles Lakers 112-103 Los Angeles Clippers
Though the Lakers have been leading the Western Conference for most of this season, there were also a lot of doubts about their chances of winning the NBA Championship this season.
One of the most important reasons was the purple and gold's disappointing record against other championship candidates, namely the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Well, these doubts can be put away now – at least for a while – as the Lakers defeated both the Bucks and the Clippers in three days.
Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks in the game against he Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center, March 8, 2020. /VCG
Thanks to load management and injuries, the Clippers were only able to send their complete squad in 10 games but fortunately, they won them all. However, that record was over on Sunday, ended by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Though the Staples Center was supposed to be the Clippers' home court on Sunday, when James stood on the free throw line at the end of the fourth quarter, chants of "MVP" echoed around the arena.
Judging by their numbers – James 28+7+9, Davis 30+8+2, Kawhi Leonard 27+2, Paul George 31+6+3 – the ace pairs of the two sides were equally matched.
However, the way they influenced the game with their performance was a different story.
Paul George #13 of the Los Angeles Clippers penetrates in the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center, March 8, 2020. /VCG
George scored more points than the other three. He seemed to have turned the corner when he dropped 19 points in the first half. Nonetheless, he did not do well defending James and he barely touched the ball in the fourth quarter.
Davis kept a good efficiency of 11-19 in field goals but, like usual, he is more of a finisher rather than playmaker. Davis' major focus was still on defense and, though he finished that mission well, he was held back by foul trouble for a while.
This game in essence, was a contest between James and Leonard.
Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers penetrates in the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center, March 8, 2020. /VCG
The two have very different playstyles. Leonard is probably the best isolation player in today's league – even James did not get the upper hand on him in one-on-one offense or defense. Though he was struggling from downtown on Sunday, Leonard went 7-9 within the 3-point line. Simply speaking, he was unstoppable in half-court game.
However, Leonard delivered no assists in the game. It's true that he's not an orchestrator, but when the team had to rely on him to win the game, Leonard had only one way to do his job: individual attack. That not only made him very predictable for defenders, but hurt his teammates passion for the game because they could have been able to help him.
By contrast, James though lost part of his sharpness, he was able to help the team in other ways. In order to maintain his efficiency, the 35-year-old concentrated on the rim and the 3-point line with his individual attack. Though he was only 5-10 in the paint, James earned 14 free throws and made 12 of them.
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball in the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center, March 8, 2020. /VCG
Nonetheless, what really killed the game was James' passing. In the last few minutes of the fourth quarter, James kept calling for a screen to seek mismatches against Lou Williams, the biggest vulnerability in the Clippers' defense. Though the Clippers were able to keep James from scoring directly on Williams, they could not stop his passes to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Avery Bradley which allowed them to score. Moreover, James did not get soft when he had to make a point by finishing a three-point play on Marcus Morris.
In truth, the Lakers picked the same method in their games against the Bucks and Clippers: locking the opponents' role players, making superstars take over, slowing down the pace and focusing on attacking the basket. Usually this is what games look like in the playoffs.
As a result, the purple and gold managed to score 50 points in the paint in front of the league's best rim protection by the Bucks. The Clippers averaged 116 points per game and had four 130+point games in the past 30 days. Yet they barely reached 100 before the game was a foregone conclusion.
Anthony Davis #3 of the los Angeles Lakers tries to block a shot by Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers in the game at the Staples Center, March 8, 2020. /VCG
The Lakers' games were not pretty either, but they could win, because they have James, who can read games like this better than anyone, and Davis, who could work as the best defender and finisher in these competitions.
It's hard to say whether the Clippers can further improve themselves but, at least for now, the Lakers have shown the qualities of a championship team.
Other results on Sunday (home teams in bold):
Chicago Bulls 107-110 Brooklyn Nets
New Orleans Pelicans 120-107 Minnesota Timberwolves
Oklahoma City Thunder 105-104 Boston Celtics
Milwaukee Bucks 131-140 Phoenix Suns
Miami Heat 100-89 Washington Wizards
Indiana Pacers 112-109 Dallas Mavericks
San Antonio Spurs 129-132 Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons 84-96 New York Knicks
Toronto Raptors 118-113 Sacramento Kings
Orlando Magic 126-106 Houston Rockets