LOS ANGELES (AP) — Norman Powell scored 27 points, Kawhi Leonard added 25 and the Los Angeles Clippers advanced in their quest for a better playoff spot, beating LeBron James and the Lakers 125-118 on Wednesday night. city.
The Clippers’ 11th straight win over the other home team at Crypto.co Arena put them even with Golden State, which byed for fifth place in the Western Conference at 42-38.
The Clippers and Lakers entered their final meeting of the season tied with a 41-38 record.
Although the Lakers have already secured at least one spot in the playoff minitournament, they are trying to finish in the top six to advance directly to the postseason. The Clippers have an advantage in the tiebreaker over the Lakers themselves.
James had 33 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and six turnovers for the Lakers, who played back-to-back games. Anthony Davis had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lakers had won four straight and seven of the last eight.
