NBA highlights on Jan. 7: Lakers beat Clippers to end losing streak

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 106-103 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, ending their four-game losing streak.

LeBron James, 39, again gave people reasons to doubt his real age, not only by shooting 11-for-19 from the field to get the game-high 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, but also with an epic dunk over Paul George in a fast break in the third quarter.

Though that dunk generated no more than two points, it was the perfect sign of the purple and gold took the initiative of the contest from the second half. The team had six steals, forced eight turnovers by the opponents and turned those turnovers into 10 points to lead 32-24 in this period alone. James contributed eight points and four assists in running their offense.

The Lakers saw the return of D'Angelo Russell after a three-game absence on Sunday night. He wasn't in the starting lineup, but played longer than two of the players who started. He didn't shoot well in the first half, but when he paired with Davis, he did a good job of feeding him the ball in his sweet spots so he could make some easy buckets instead of tussling with Ivica Zubac for tough shots.

Another surprise for the Lakers in Sunday's game was Christian Wood, who got nine points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in less than 16 minutes. He made a key 3-pointer in the second quarter and finished efficiently under the hoop by making three of his four attempts. He, Russell, Max Christie and Jarred Vanderbilt outscored their Clippers' counterpart 31-23.

On paper, the Clippers had more franchise players they could go to for clutch plays, but two of them, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, let the team down. The two combined to go 10-for-30 in field goals (FGs) to score only 30 points and 11 assists. At least Harden did well in getting Zubac involved in offense and knocked down three triples. Leonard missed 10 of his 14 jumpers and rarely charged the rim.

Coach Tyronn Lue made some very confusing rotations at the end of Sunday's game. He benched Leonard during the final three minutes, but then put him back on the court when there were 17 seconds left. He delivered an assist for Zubac to make a layup, but it was too little and too late to reverse the situation.

Zubac and George were the two best-performing Clippers on Sunday night. George shot 4-for-11 behind the arc to drop 22 points and had five steals. Zubac dominated the both the paint and the board with a double-double of 22 points and 19 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive glass. The game wouldn't have been so close so late without their effort.

Other games on Sunday (away teams come first):

Minnesota Timberwolves 108-115 Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks secured their third straight win after Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined to score 69 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists against the Timberwolves at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Irving drained six 3-pointers out of eight attempts and made surprising contributions of getting three steals, two blocks and five offensive rebounds.

Anthony Edwards was called for three personal fouls in the first quarter, but he still dropped a team-high 36 points and 10 rebounds in addition to three steals. Karl-Anthony Towns played less than 28 minutes in the game carrying five fouls. He added 24 points for the Timberwolves, but wasn't very helpful on the defensive end. The team's two best defenders, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels, struggled to work as both committed four fouls.

Toronto Raptors 133-118 Golden State Warriors

It has been over four years since the Raptors and the Warriors played each other in the NBA Finals. The Raptors now have very few players left from that time and are under a new coach, but they still excel at containing Stephen Curry. He missed 12 of his 14 FGs, including all nine attempts outside the 3-point line to get only nine points and six assists for the Warriors at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on Sunday.

The Raptors also made Curry suffer on the defensive end as every of their athletic, big-size forwards stopped at nothing to attack the 1.88-meter-tall, 35-year-old veteran. RJ Barrett made 13 of his 20 shots from the field to get 37 points, setting a new season high in his fourth game with the Raptors.

San Antonio Spurs 115-117 Cleveland Cavaliers

Portland Trail Blazers 134-127 Brooklyn Nets

Atlanta Hawks 110-117 Orlando Magic

New Orleans Pelicans 133-100 Sacramento Kings

Detroit Pistons 114-131 Denver Nuggets

Memphis Grizzlies 121-115 Phoenix Suns