Lakers News: Los Angeles Reveals Starting 5 Vs Clippers
Tonight, the Battle of Los Angeles will resume at 7 p.m. PT over on ESPN.
Your Los Angeles Lakers will face off against the LA Clippers "on the road" at their shared home address of Crypto.com Arena.
While the Clippers will be without All-Star forward Paul George in their first five (guard Norman Powell will jump in his stead), the Lakers will be able to roll out their full compliment of Darvin Ham's preferred starters.
That means point guard D'Angelo Russell will be joined by third-year shooting guard Austin Reaves in LA's starting backcourt, while All-Star forward LeBron James, former lottery pick Rui Hachimura and All-Defensive-contending center Anthony Davis will hold it down in the frontcourt. Per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, this group has gone 6-1 when starting together in 2023-24.
The Clippers are minor favorites (-3) even without PG-13, thanks largely to their well-rounded offense centered around remaining future Hall of Fame starters James Harden and Kawhi Leonard (ex-Laker Russell Westbrook is also a no-brainer first ballot Springfield inductee, too, but he's now in the bench phase of what has been an illustrious career, so I'm not counting him here). Will the Lakers -- who boast their full compliment of starters but are missing key bench pieces in Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood and Gabe Vincent -- be able to steal the W? Time will tell.
