On February 26, Beijing time, the NBA regular season staged the Los Angeles derby, the Lakers home to meet the Clippers, the first quarter of the Lakers can also bite the score, the Clippers in the second quarter gradually opened the point difference, the half of the Lakers 47-57 behind.
The Los Angeles derby was a notable one, with the outcome of the game at stake in the playoffs. The Clippers are no. 8th in the West and the Lakers are no. 9, with a 1.5-game win difference between the two teams, and this game is very critical. The Lakers have been in average form recently, losing 7 of their last 10 games.
The Lakers adjusted the start again, Howard and Reeves started, the two teams opened with a bad feel, the score rose slowly, entered the starting Howard outbreak, dominated the inside line, the first quarter he shot 2 of 3, free throws 4 free throws all 8 points and 9 rebounds, including 5 frontcourt rebounds, but the Lakers' other teammates felt bad, the outside line was 10 shots all lost, the lakers only scored 22 points in the first quarter and fell behind by 2 points.
The Clippers took the lead in the first half of the second quarter, gradually establishing the advantage, the Lakers' five small lineups suffered again, James hit the Lakers' first three-pointer of the game, Kennard hit a three-pointer, and the Clippers played a wave of 12-5, 36-27 leading to stop the Lakers. Howard was still in excellent form, returning from a timeout to create a 2+1, and then grabbed the rebound in front of the court for a second offense, and the individual quickly got a double-double. The Lakers made more mistakes, And Covington countered with a dunk, giving the Lakers a 42-31 lead.
With the exception of Howard, the Lakers did not score, Mann dunked, the Clippers led 46-33, and the Lakers could only call a timeout. The suspension still didn't have a good effect, and the Clippers always suppressed the Lakers, and the point difference remained in double digits. At halftime, the Lakers trailed 47-57.
Howard propped up the Lakers offense and had 14 points and 11 rebounds in the halftime, including 7 frontcourt rebounds, more than the Clippers as a whole (5), and James had 14 points and 5 rebounds. The Clippers scored more points, with Mann 10 points, Reggie 9 points and Kennard 14 points. The Lakers' outside line in the first half was only 3-of-16.