NBA LIVE! Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers | Aug 7, 2025 Lakers vs Clippers 2K Preseason
grade with the big man match up in this one. Yeah, I I love to see skilled bigs dueling down low. Kind of a throwback in some ways, but there’s still plenty of physicality in the modern game. Now, let’s check out our starters for the Los Angeles Lakers. In it forward for him, it’s James and Hachimura. Donic out there with Austin Reed and it’s in at the five roaming the paint. And it’s the Clippers ball. No one covered. Leonard’s got the opening field goal of the game for the Clippers. I like Leonard’s shot right there. He’s very comfortable from that distance. Pass to LeBron. Reeves with it. Just five to shoot. And that one’s good. Hatimura just solid with the jump shot. Hachimura helps your offense in a number of ways. In that case, spacing the floor. Done outside. It’s blocked. down against Reeves over Dunn. Reeves gets the bucket. And the passing instincts of James are just unreal. He has that great sense for when and where to send the ball. Now here’s Harden outside. Leonard to the middle. Here’s Collins. Lakers with the rebound. Just around a minute and a half into the first quarter. Hachimura finds Donic. Reeves outside. Hayton sets the pick for Reeves. The tray. It’s held in by Zubots. And you could tell he thought that triple was going to fall. A three from Leonard. Good. It’s Harden with the assist that time. Leonard’s got five points so far. This team relies on that shot from Kaw. And with an update from the sidelines, let’s check in with David Aldridge. Hey Kevin, I was able to talk with Terron Lou for just a minute. Of course, they know they have their work cut out for them with LeBron on the court. He told me James hasn’t really lost a step. He’s a constant problem out there. So, I’m ready to try anything, including just throwing extra bodies at him. Of course, that probably means some double teams in LeBron’s immediate future. Guys, thank you, David. really the right plate defensively. If you can’t block, force them to the line. Yeah, exactly. Prevent the layup. Give them a little bump and then maybe they’ll think twice about coming into the lane next time. And if they don’t think about it, at least they might be distracted by your presence. He misses the free throw. Greg, looking back to last season, the Clippers had one red-hot stretch. That’s right. They they went on a 26 and5 run between December and February. It it finally showed how dangerous that team could be when healthy. And the second free throw. Good. One thing about the Lakers, Clark, over the last couple seasons, they get themselves to the free throw line. Yeah. And a lot of that is due to the fact they’ve got some real creators in their lineup. Guys who can attack off the dribble at multiple positions from multiple angles and that creates pressure for the defense. Reeves with the screen for Donic. The Lakers need to get a shot off here. Shoots from the corner and it’s John Collins with the rebound. Defense made an impact right there. Definitely got him uncomfortable going up with it. Harden against Donic. Fires the three. Harden. No good. And here’s James. He’ll bring it up for the Los Angeles Lakers. They trail by one. Rom brieves. Finds the hole for the second time from the floor. Now two for five. LeBron doing what he does best, creating for and elevating others. Pardon the pass to Collins. Dunn kicks to Leonard from outside off the mark. Lakers have gone 50% from the field, hitting three of six since the opening tip. And there’s a whistle that’s going to go on James Harden. That is his first foul of the game. And we got to take a second look to admire that outstanding block and making a statement right away, letting them know they won’t get any easy ones when he’s around. Down against Reeves and he drops in the layup off the glass. Seven points for Austin Reeds. Pick works well there. Not much resistance from the D. Yeah, that’s not the defense you need. You got to be tougher defensively. And the timeout called here by Terron Lou. He’s made the decision he wants to huddle up with his guys. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. That’s not done outside to Collins. Center it on the wing. James defending and again it’s the Clippers missing. You’re not going to see that very often. Plenty of space, but he just, let’s face it, he whiffs on that one for the three and the three ball is good. Nice play. And you can see they’re gathering momentum and you know they need to stay aggressive here. Build the lead up while they’ve got the chance. Don’t waste this opportunity. Now here is Harden. No scoring in this one. And it’s Leonard that time on the assist by Harden. Skilled at getting inside and doing work down there. Kawhi Leonard is a confidence. Pass to Eightton. The Clippers grab the miss. Leonard looking around. Collins against Hatchim. And the rejection by Eaton and using that wide reach to reject shots. Aiden can’t afford to throw up weak stuff around the big fell. Reeves outside. Aton a screen on D. Here’s Reeves. Here’s Eightton. And Eightton throws it down. And he can do a lot more damage to the rim than that when he wants to. Oh, you’re right. And with the lead they’re enjoying, I’m surprised he didn’t put a little something extra on that one. Well, I think he did plenty of damage nonetheless. I mean, it was only with one hand, but he still threw that down pretty hard. People like to debate, and Greg, I don’t know if this is you, what’s better, Kawawaii’s defense or his offense? Well, Kevin, I’ll say this. Even if he was a subpar defender, his offense alone would have him among the league’s top players, but his defense isn’t subpar. At its best, it’s elite. Leonard with the ball, and Hatchima picks him up defensively. Lakers leading by seven down low and Aton forms it down. I love the play call. Aiden’s a well-coordinated athlete. You know he has the reach. Give him a chance to go up and get it. Puts it up. Barton. That’s good. He’s just such a well-rounded offensive player. He’s got a little bit of everything. Pass to Hatchim. James with it. Three-pointer. It’s held in by Zubox. Harden against Dic. Lets it go with the three. And James Harden good for three. Harden’s got five minutes. And this is why you got to be in Harden’s jersey. I mean, if you lay off of him for a second, he burns you with that quick shot. Back to Donic trying to answer back, but that three is off the mark. Clippers trail by four. Leonard the pass to Dunn. Collins kicks to Zubox. Harden outside from deep. Lakers with the rebound. Here’s Reeds. Here’s LeBron. Again, the miss by the Lakers. Clippers shooting just 35% to start the game. Outside Collins and here’s Leonard for free. And that one goes out of bounds. He’s touched by Zubox. A different look for the Clippers. Lopez. He’s checked in for Zubox. And it’s Bogdanovic in for Chris Dunn. And then for the Lakers, Lorab is checked in. And it’s Gabe Vincent in for Austin Reeds. Who’s watching it? Here’s Vincent. He is covered by Bdanovich. Pass to Donic. Back to Vincent. Six on the shot clock. Eight and a screen on Bdonovic. The three and it’s Wabia missing. Clippers trail by four. Now Harden five points in the game. Back to Leonard. Good. It’s Harden with the assist that time. Harden’s got three assists now in this one. You know, a little bit of contact will not bother Leonard at all. I mean, he’s so strong as a player. It’s part of the deal for him. And JJ Reick is called timeout. He wants to check in with his team and regroup. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. All right. Anic Inside Lakers passing it around inside to stop the crouch. Oh, and then jam by Eaton. And look at Aiden get up there. Have to enjoy watching the big man getting tricky with it. Here’s Harden. He has five, guys. They’re looking for a way to score here. Yeah, they’ve had a tough time taking the lid offices Lopez. Pass to Leonard. Fouled in the act of shooting. Gets the bucket anyway. So, a three-point play chance for him. Why such a fiery competitor? He won’t back down in the face of adversity. Find the legs. Find the legs. Real shot. And Leonard no good on that one. Rick Lopez worth every penny as he secured a nice raise last season. Yeah, you know, he’s a combination of a three-point shooting big who’s also an elite rim protector. That’s a heck of a combination and a valuable one in today’s game. And here’s Collins after Luca Donic hitting the three. Lopez inside. He’s covered by Eaton. Lopez no luck. And so Donic will bring it up for the Lakers leading by five. And the latest now from our sideline reporter, David Aldridge. David, it’s all yours. Take it away, Kevin. The Clippers are inaugurating their new arena this season, and they’re set to host the All-Star game next season. It will mark the seventh time that the LA area has hosted the All-Star facilities. Kevin, there will be no shortage of stars in attendance. That’s always the way it is in LA. You’re so right, David. It ought to be quite a spectacle. Harden with that catch and release. Lightning quick. Lakers lead by four. LeBron sets the screen for Donic. Arabia passes to Eightton. Fast break. Here they come. Here’s Bdonovic. And he lays it straight in. What pace on the fast break from Bdonovich getting out ahead and protecting the opportunity to score. Konic. Bounce pass. 132 left here in the first quarter. Eighton a screen on Bdonovic. Six to shoot. Vincent off target from outside. The Clipper shooting to start out this game about 43%. And Bodonovich throws it down. Give credit where credit is due right there. A terrific assist. We’ve got 108 left in the first quarter of the game. Donic gets to Eightton. Pass to LeBron. Oh, in position takes the alley pass and dunks it down. And how sweet a play was that? As sweet as it gets. An exquisite pass to set up the powerful alleyoop dunk. Guys, I tell you, there are assist and then there are delicious dimes. This was the L. They have a chance to go two for one here. Let’s see how they play the clock. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. That’s on Brook Lopez. And really, Clark Luca Donic is a oneman wrecking crew on the offensive end of the floor. Yeah, he really is. I mean, he’s special. His IQ, his size, the way he can make shots against tough defense. He’s got the lean back. He’s got the crafty moves and I think he’s a lot stronger and a little more athletic than people give him credit for being. I mean, without a doubt, he’s one of the most unique and best players that we’ve seen in the game. That free throw good from Donic and Clark. It’s hard to compare Luca Donuch to any other player we’ve seen before. I would certainly agree with that. Dittos to that, Kevin, because he is unique. This pace is never hurried. He never gets rattled. He complains to officials a little bit more than I like to see, but he’s strong. He’s got great touch and feel, and he scores at all three levels, and he’s a brilliant passer. And he makes the first, but misses the second. And Clark for the Lakers. Their last two seasons ending in playoff losses to the Denver Nuggets. And I tell you what, they fought hard both times, Kevin. The point differential was only 24 points over the four games in 2023 and just 11 points in 2024. LA actually led most of the five game series but weren’t able to advance. First trip to the free throw line for him in this one. Yeah, and he wasn’t someone you wanted to foul if you were defending him last season. 85% is what he made from the line. You know, he really did excel at the stripe. I mean, they couldn’t have asked for too much more from him when it came to knocking down free throws. Free throw good. Reeves. Both teams will make substitutions. and Reed drops them both. He’s as solid as it gets from the line. I mean, give him the opportunity. He’s cashing in on those outside. Bananovich pass to Zubots. Yep, that one goes in there. No defensive pressure at all. I mean, that’s not going to get it done against him. Austin Reeds has been on display for the Lakers. He finishes with nine points in the quarter. The D is having all sorts of problems with him. And don’t go away. We’ll be right back. And close game underway so far. We’ll see if either of these teams can jump out in the second quarter. And taking a look at the Lakers performance here. What have they been doing or not doing in the game? Just a terrific first quarter sparked really by their unselfishness. Yeah, and you know, so many of their hoops came off an assist, which is a good sign of ball movement and sharing that ball. Clippers trail by three. So on the floor for the Lakers to start this second quarter. They’ve got Gabe Vincent. He’s out there with Austin Reed. Connect out there with Jared Vanderbilt. And it’s Lorravia in at the foret. Now here’s Batum following the miss shot by Boon Bdonovich. The outside stroke of Batum too. Nice. He knocks him down in bunches. Pass to connect. Reeves with a screen on Jones. Puts it up from 12. Hits some rim on the way in. And the buckets good. Connects. Got his first points in this one. And here’s Bogdanovich. Now here’s Sanders. Here’s Zubots outside for Batum. Just four to shoot and the space there, but it’s offline. The Lakers in the lead. Quarter number two with just over a minute gone. Here’s Vincent. He’s covered by Buganovich. Reeves into the lane. That one a tad offline to the right, but drops in for him. Reeves has got 11. pick works well there. Not much resistance from the deep. Yeah, that’s not the defense you need. You got to be tougher defensively. Zubots with the screen for Sanders on the wing. Jones pass to Bodunovic. Shot on the wing. That’s good on the jump shot. He’s got six. Second quarter play with around two minutes gone so far. Sanders against Reeves and Sanders pulls it down. Yeah, he just flat out tricked that one. Missed it and has no one to blame but himself. Matum finds Zubots. Sanders against Reeves. Zubots. A screen on Reeves. They now take the lead. Sanders has got his first bucket of the game and he’s on the board for three. Pass to Vanderbilt. Here’s connect defended by Jones. Here’s Lorraia. The Lakers moving the ball around. Here’s Vincent. He’s covered by Vanovich. Vincent misses. The Clippers in the lead. Jones up top. He’s defended by Reeds to the paint. Seven shot. That shot no good. Boy, you’ve really got to put those away, especially against soft interior defense. Vincent, the pass to Labraia. Now Reeves sinks the three-pointer. Reeves has got five points now this quarter. and Clark on average free throw attempts are down a fair bit in the last 20 25 years. Yeah, I mean from a fan perspective I think you compare a field goal to a couple of free throws is obvious though which is more entertaining to watch. You want to see guys score the ball in live action. Oh Kevin, not a petty, not a manny but facial. Oh bounce to the outs. Yeah, showing off the bunnies. He’s a highlight reel. Always on the launch pad. Sanders against Reeves. The three. It’s held in by Zubox. Zubox has got his second rebound here tonight. Here’s Jones shooting foul as the whistle blows. He’ll shoot two free throws. The Clippers shooting their fourth and fifth shots at the foul line in the game. And one of the highlights last year for this group was the fact that they were so efficient from the charity strike. That’s a huge factor and you know that just added to their confidence at the offensive end. I mean knowing that free throw shooting was something they didn’t have to worry about gave them a lot of confidence to play freely. The first one falls for the Clippers. This comes in for Sanders and it’s James Harden in for Nicholas Patoon. Hatchima he’s checked in for the Lakers. LeBron comes in for connect. And so Jones nails both of them and Reeds has got the ball here for the Lakers. Trailing by two. Vincent the bounce pass. Hatachimura the pass from Oraia and he takes the feed in stride and slams it home. Man, what a pass that was there. He really really relishes making the game easier for his teammates. Dung finds Zubots to the inside. Pick off in midair. Here’s James and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. It’s going to be on James Hart. You know, the power and intensity on display there from James, guys. I mean, giving the defense no other choice but to foul. Lakers shooting their fifth and six free throws of the game. And the first one at the line is good. You know, it’s inevitable that a player’s physical abilities diminish over the course of a career, but the thing that stands out to me about LeBron James is that he never lost his insatiable drive to win. Guys, if anything, he’s gotten stronger. That one is no good. Look, the physicality has always stood out with LeBron. It’s been obvious, but his basketball IQ is what makes him such a special special player. I mean, he sees the game like very few ever have. No shortage of drama here early on. Yeah, eight lead changes already. Huge number this early. Inside. Here’s Hatchima. And the dunk by Hatimura. I love how under control is able to push his way through the contact and score. Nice work. Now here’s Harden. He’s got eight. Pass to Bogdanovic. Zubat a screen on James. A three from Bodanovich. Offensive rebound. Jones sets the pick for Banovich. Second shot opportunity. Now Jones ball. Nice feed that time from Banovich. Jones has got the lead up to two now for the Clippers. Lakers have gone five of eight from the floor here in the second quarter. Over 60% shooting. James against Bdonovic. James absorbing hits on the drive. Fighting through contact. Not easy trying to corral LeBron when he’s focused on scoring. Good luck with that. Odonovich looking around and here’s Harden for three. Nice. Four for seven from the floor with that shot. Textbook. Nice pass. Great catch. Even better finish. Reeves with it. 14 points for him. To the middle. Here’s Hatchima. That one. No good. Excellent that time from Jones. Dunn picks to Jones. It’s stolen by Hatchima. Pass to Reeds. Stolen by Jones. jumps up and it’s Jones finishing it off. He’s going to put that one in his court. Insane. And now they’re starting to rub it in. Build up a lead. And here we go, baby. It is showtime. And why not? A little salt in the wound. The more plays they make like that, the more they’ll have these guys reeling on the ropes. And that one’s good. Hachimura and a solid shooter from mid-range. Hachimura with textbook fundamentals. And Terron Lou calls timeout. He wants to make some adjustments to the game plan clearly. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Brook Lopez’s check in for the Clippers. Kawi Leonard comes in for Bogdan Banovich. Clippers leading by three. Harden dishes to Lopez down low. Here’s Jones. No stopping him there. Jams it in as he’s fouled. Chanced now for a three-point play. Ruy Himura picks one up. And look at how the offensive approach has been going here so far for the Clippers. You know, so far in this one, these guys have been knocking it down from distance. You’ve got to like their confidence as this game continues. They’re on a nice roll. And I also have to call out how they’ve outworked their opponent. Doing a great job of crashing the offensive glass and just creating those second chance points. That one misses for Jones. Lakers trail by five. Donic passes to Vanderbilt. Harden with it. He’s picked up by Donic. That’s short off the rim. Lakers have gone seven of 11 from the field in the second quarter. Here’s connect. He’s covered by Leonard. And they double up. Donic. Pass to connect. Vanderbilt setting the pick for Connect. Tries again and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. Well, I tell you what, he earned his money on that foul. Yeah, if you’re going to foul, then make sure that you don’t give a chance for the warrant. The Lakers have gone four of six so far from the line, missing a couple. And at the line last season, about 78% as a team. Pretty solid numbers. First one falls for also good. So he hits both free throws. Clippers leading by three. Harden surveying the D. And he gets it to go. Harden’s got five points now in the quarter. And James Harden feeling spot, giving the defense everything they can handle with this scoring. Vanderbilt setting the pick for Donic. fires for three and Dantage with the triple gets the shot he wants. The defense wasn’t quite connected enough. They lost contact. And while we’ve got a moment, I’d send it over to our terrific reporter, David. David, thanks. If you think Luca Donuch makes amazing shots in the games, you should see his trip shots. It’s legendary stuff with his teammates. Luca says, “I’m just making them up. I like to have fun, so sometimes I just try some new stuff. And of course, Kevin, he always feels like they’re going in. Thank you, Da. He is a magician with the ball, a very creative mind, and it’s fun to watch. Nicholas Batum, he’s checked in for Derek Jones. kicks to Donic. Oh, Donic in traffic. Excellent finish that time inside by Donic. He’s highly skilled. I mean, that’s obvious. What’s not so obvious is how big he is. This guy looks me eye to eye. Pass to Dun with some arc and the layup is good. And the Clippers lead by two. Dicing up the defense with his speed. Chris Dunn has extraordinary handlers. An passes to Hatchima and it’s connect in the corners and that won’t go. Missing the go- ahead bucket and so it’s Leonard with it. He’ll bring it up for the Los Angeles Clippers. LeBron with the block. It’s a part of his game that LeBron takes a lot of pride in. Shot blocking and defending. He’s no slouch at that end of the floor. Clippers shooting it up around 51%. They’re getting good looks. Leonard, no luck. Lakers shooting 52% from the floor. Nice work so far from them. Connect that time from Batum. Oh, you you’ve got to be able to deliver when you get a bunny like that. That’s just too easy of a shot to miss. Out of bounds, Clippers ball as the Clippers keep possession. And that kind of stifling effort on defense needs another look. You can almost feel the mindset he has. I mean, when the game’s this close, he’s going to bring it at that end of the floor. So for the Clippers, Zubots is checked in for Lopez and Collins sub for Nicholas Matum. The Lakers also making some changes. Eighton. He’s checked in for Vanderbilt and it’s Austin Reeves in for connect and the ball goes out of bounds. Nice touch by James. Gets a finger on it but just can’t quite come up with the steal. Clearly a careless pass. He got away with one there. Acres on D. Leonard inside working on James. When LeBron is engaged on defense, he’s a real problem at that end of the floor, too. Terrific job changing the shot. And LeBron the only player to reach 40,000 points in his career. Clark, you’re shaking your head. It’s incredible, isn’t it? Absolutely remarkable, Kevin. And I did not think I would see it in my lifetime. 40,000 points. Just the sound of that is ridiculous. And you know, he not only has lived up to the hype that has followed him since he was 15 years old, he’s actually exceeded it, Kevin, which is crazy. Count the basket. Harden’s got seven now in this quarter. And the lefty Harden is confident shooting from anywhere. Lethal with that jump shot. Whether he’s open or well guarded, he gets the job done. Donic with the bucket. Not sure what the defense was thinking. I mean, you can’t leave this guy open from deep. Pass to Zubox. Harden bounce pass. Here’s Leonard. Rebound the Lakers. Aimura’s got four rebounds now tonight. Reeves outside. Shot clock at six to the paint. Here’s and throws it down. And dunking the ball is just second nature to Aiden. With the right positioning, he’s a threat to throw it down. Harden outside. Misses from close range. It’s been all about Luca Donic for the Lakers. He’s been a major threat from three-point range. Got two of them to fall in that quarter. And now we’ll send it over to David Aldridge who is standing by courtside. David. Thanks, Kevin. Here with coach Don Lou. Coach, what is the focus going to be in the second half? Just play the right way. Move the ball, share the ball, get stops, and get out and run in transition. Always leads to good results. Thanks, Terron. Back to you, Kevin. Thank you, David. And we’ll be back after halftime as the third quarter gets underway. Heat. Heat. 3. Second half of basketball upon us. We may be in for an exciting finish based on how close of a game it’s been so far. You know, Luca Donic has been exceptional here, guys. He’s done a fantastic job of finding open space to operate with within the first few quarters. You know what? It helped that they had a few guys with very hot hands on the perimeter, too. The Clippers trail. Harden out there with Chris Dunn. Then it’s Collins. Then it’s Izza Zubox. And it’s Leonard in the small forward. That’s the group starting the second half for Terron Lou. You know what? That’s just fantastic concentration by Harden taking the hit and then draining the shot. Talk about confidence. Greg, what do you think about Harden’s quote from a couple years ago when he said, “I’m not a system player. I am the system.” Kevin, I laughed when I heard it because most guys couldn’t say that. But Harden absolutely can. He’s an elite scorer turned elite passer. Your offense has to orbit around him when he’s on the floor. Well, nobody quite like Harden to run your offense. He knows the ins and outs like very few do. Eighton the pass to Hatchima. And here’s LeBron outside. Hangs home the trifecta. LeBron’s got nine. And not even three quarters out of the way. So many lead changes. The fans guys are getting their money’s worth. Heck, I should have paid to watch this one. It’s been a nail bite. Now here’s Collins still yet to score. Harden’s shot is off. Well, they’ll be happy with that look even though it didn’t fall. You know what? That’s a confidence shaker for him though. I mean, that’s a shot he expects to make every time. The Clippers shooting 47% pretty solid. Dunn dishes to Collins. Donic against Dunn. This one for three and again the Clippers missing and there’s the call on John Collins. That’s his first foul. The Lakers in the lead now Reeves. Pass to Aton trying his luck from deep. Collins grabs the miss. Collins has got his seventh rebound of the game with that last one. Leonard draws the double and the rejection by James. Hatchima against Leonard. Hatchima kicks to James. Payton a screen undone. Here’s Reeves. Goes up and lays it nice and easy. 16 points for him. And you got to love the big bucket in the paint in this sort of a grind it out game. Zubox finds Harden. Some nice ball movement by the Clippers. Here’s Leonard and contact on the shot. So he’ll be shooting free throws here. Oh, very difficult to just stop Kawhai inside. He’s a powerful player who commits to his attacks. And these are his second and third free throws tonight. And worth mentioning, guys, the free throw percentage he brought in from last season. How about 88%. Yeah, you know, that was one spot where they didn’t have to worry about him at all. I mean, at the free throw line, he was automatic. And the first one drops. You know, when you talk Kawi Leonard, you start with his defense and I don’t know if there’s a better wing defender around. Leonard hits them both. Lakers have gone two of four here to start the second half. Pass to Hatchima. James the bounce pass. Now here’s Donic. Just five on the clock. Back to Hatchima. Reeves with it. guarded by Hart and that’s good. Austin Reeves for three. Reeves has got five points now in the quarter. Clippers trail by four. Collins setting the big for Harden. Done outside to the middle. Here’s Zubox. And the dunk by Zubox. Well, you look at how Dunn slices apart the defense with his passing. Phenomenal in the pick and roll. And so Donic will bring it up for the Lakers. Their biggest lead of the game was nine. Back to Reeves. The shots good on the assist by Donic. Reeves has got 21 in the game. That’s serving it up on the platter there. What a nice pass. A high percentage look was the result. Collins looking around pass to Zubots in the corner. Harden. Zubots with the screen for Harden. Shoots over Nic. That one’s in there. The Lakers lead is cut down to two on the bucket from James Harden. Man, it’s fun watching Harden use the pick and roll to his advantage, getting space off the screen and letting it fly with ease. Eighton the pass to Reeds. It’s hauled in by the Clippers. Harden outside for the tie. Rebound the Lakers. Eightton’s got seven rebounds in the game. inside and the rejection by Zubox. And now the Clippers on the break. Harden gets the bucket. Harden’s got it all tied up now for the Clippers. And you know, Harden’s exceptional getting out on the break in transition. I mean, running exactly the right path and getting it done. Here’s Reeves. He’s got 21. LeBron shot is off. Here’s Harden. Pass to Dun. Harden with a screen on Reeves. Done against Reeves. Good on the 13-footer and the Clippers lead by two. Man, you got to love the concentration of Dunn, guys. Nailing the shot right in the defender’s face. Here’s Hayton and the layup is good after a nice lead pass. Eightton’s got 12 points in the game and he found a soft spot in the D on that possession. And Zeron Louu calls timeout. He’s going to have a discussion here on the sideline. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. The Clippers have gone five of nine on field goal attempts since halftime. Harden finds Collins. Here’s Dunn. Reeves with the rebound. And for the Lakers, they’re shooting it well here in the third, about 50%. And Dunic gets it to go. It’s been this way since halftime. Tremendous production from beyond the arc. Boy, it’s been a three-point barrage. They came out gunned and have not stopped. Now, here’s Leonard. 15 points in the game. Pass to Collins. Back to Harden. Zubox gets down. Wants to get it to Zubox and does. Yeah, easy call. Yeah, you can hear the smack all the way over here where we are. Let’s quickly check out the scoring breakdown here for the Lakers. And guys, how about the unselfishness and all about working that ball around, shifting the defense and just seeking out the best shot. They’ve also found a lot of shots at the arc in this one and allowing their good shooters to tee it up. And he makes the first. Vodovic, he’s checked in for the Clippers. And the Lakers also making a change. Loravius checked in. He hits one and misses one each at the line. Lakers have gone a solid six of 11 when shooting here in the third quarter. Those plays can make a difference in a game like this. Well, you know, it’s going to fire up, Greg. Everybody on that bench making a statement for sure. I mean, we’ll see if they can maintain that aggressive approach, guys. Here’s Leonard following the bucket by the Lake. Good as the jump shot falls. Leonard’s got four points now in the quarter. Well, the pick gives Leonard some space and he wisely calls his own number. Donic finds Eightton, shoots over Zubox and there’s Eightton and that’s good on the assist by Donic. And the Lakers lead by four. Clippers shooting at 48% from the floor. Looking good. Pass to Collins. And here’s Bogdanovich. Six points for him. Collins. A screen on Reeds. And here’s Bogdanovich for three. Trains the three-pointer. Bogdanovich has got nine. And this is why Bdonovich has a permanent green light from the arc. Frankly, the team expects this from him. Reeves the pass to James. James gets inside and finishes. Really crisp, intelligent passing to make that basket possible. Clark, what is it about Austin Reeves style of play that makes him such a good scoreer? I love the fact that he can change pace with the dribble. You know, he’s not super fast, but he’s not slow either. What he is is shifty and smart. He’s got good size, good ball skills, and he’s got a nice mid-range jumper. All of that allows him to keep defenders off balance. And the Lakers have possession. James Harden getting it to go from deep. LeBron outside to the right wing. puts up a deep three. Reeves can’t hit. Clippers have gone eight of 13 on shot attempts to begin the second half. Leonard against James and it’s Leonard missing. The Laker shooting 53% from the floor. They’re locked in. On the wing, James. He’s covered by Leonard. pass to Donic. Lets the three fly. Oh, Donic long range. And this is the game plan for him. He’s a big part of their floor space. And you know what? It’s all about the long distance game for him tonight. He’s getting it done from out there. And Terron Lou calls timeout. He’s ready to talk things through with the team. Come on. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Let’s go. Let’s go. Here’s Zubox. He’s got eight. Cowins finds Bogganovic. And here’s Harden for three. Rebounded by DeAndre Eaton. Eightton’s got eight rebounds in this game. In the corner, it’s James. Out of bounds. The Clippers take possession. And that’s just carelessness there. I mean, you have got to have your head in the game for the Clippers. Batum comes in for John Collins. And Jones subbed in for James Harden. The Lakers also changing it up. Vanderbilt comes in for DeAndre Aton. And it’s connect in for LeBron. Now here’s Leonard. He’s got 17. Zubots kicked through by Gonovic. The three-pointer. No good. Lakers lead by three. Here’s Kette and the rejection by Zubox. Now here’s London outside. Bdanovic. kicks it out to Jones. Five to shoot. Up top. Leonard and it’s in there. Leonard’s got six here in this quarter. That trip is going nowhere. Credit Leonard staying calm in the face of the shot clock. Pass to Vanderbilt. And here is Donic. Reeves outside again. The missed by the Lakers pass it to Batum. A miss that time would have put him up. The Lakers shooting it beautifully here in the third. 56% from the field. Here’s Larabia. Shoots the three and that’s good. Luca Donuch for three. Donic has got 25 points. Watch out now when Dantic is dialed in from deep because he’s unguardable. Zubox finds Boganovich. Stolen by Reeves. Pass to connectic outside. Now here’s Vanderbilt. Connect and Jones pulls it down. And the well is running dry for him right now. Nothing falling. And you know, you can sense his frustration. This is going to be a test of his resolve here. Now here’s Zubox. He’s got eight. A second chance effort and the layup is up and in. Zubox has got 10 points. Just a grinder. Always doing the dirty work on the offensive glass and that’s one of the things he brings to the table. To the inside. Here’s Vanderbilt. slams home and he draws the foul. A chance for another point at the free throw line. It’s going to go on Zubat. He’s getting his first free throw attempt of the game here. You know, this is not an area where they expect him to contribute. You know, he’s a guy that shot below 70% last season. And you know, with his free throw percentage being where it was last season, it changed the way teams defended us. I mean, there were no easy baskets. He was going to get fouled anytime he got near the rim. Uh they were going to make him earn his points at the line. Clippers trail by five. Shot clock and game clock separated by less than 6 seconds. Pass to Bdanovic. Zubots with the screen for Banovich. Off target from three-point range. Benson with it. Scoreless thus far. Now here is Himura defended by Batum with one on the clock. And it’s good. But hold on. The officials may want to look at that one on the replay monitor. And not so fast. The official the previous play is under can and make sure they got it right before we go to the fourth. and the footage relayed to the officials from the replay center in Sakus. I I I think he got it off in time. The replay leaving little doubt, but to me it’s worth being certain and that’s why we have replay to get these big calls. After the review, the ruling on the floor is overturned. And the call is going to be overturned. The second look shows that he did in fact beat the clock. Yeah, they’re glad they’re going to get those points. It wasn’t too long ago that they wouldn’t even have looked at it on the monitor, but replays here and it’s here to stay for situations just like that one. And so it’s the Los Angeles Lakers heading to the bench with a seven-point lead as we wrap up the quarter. They’re shooting the ball so well in this one. A great performance from the field. Don’t go anywhere. We’ll be right back. And let’s take now this moment to bring up our State Farm assist of the game. And and I’m glad this was the pick because I love this pass. Such a great dish. That’s what I call court vision. Yeah. And with the accuracy to go along with that vision. I mean, he put the ball in the absolute perfect spot. That’s how you orchestrate it. And with three quarters behind us, let’s see what this fourth period holds in store for us. And on the court for the Lakers to start the fourth, James is out there with Gabe Benson. Then there’s Jared Vanderbilt. Then it’s Ruy Himurray. And it’s Loravia in at the three slot. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. First free throw is good. And so Vincent nails both of them. And here’s Don. He’ll bring it up for the Clippers. Nine-point game. Pass to Lopez. kicks it out to Harden. Launches it. It’s good from long range. Harden’s got 28 points for the game. No three is really a bad three when Harden shoots it. James outside the pick. Takes the three. The Clippers grab the miss with it and Hatchima picks him up defensively. Tries it from 19. The Lankers with the rebound. La has got rebound number five here tonight. Now LeBron and foul on the shot. So he’ll get a chance at the line. Tristone picks one up. LeBron deals with a ton of physical defense and he dishes out some physical contact, too. But that’s why he works so hard on his body. I mean, you might foul him, but you’re not going to push him around. No way. Jose free throw good. James And both free throws good for LeBron. A little over a minute of the fourth quarter gone right now. Harden outside. Outside Bonovich misses the three. Lakers leading by eight. James looking it over. Bins in finds Hatchima. Nice ball movement here by the Lakers. Havdanovich wide open. That’s in coming off an assist from Dun. And with Bdonovich is that well set up. He’s almost automatic. Nice shot done against LeBron. Here’s Hatchima. And the dunk by Hatim Mura. And you know, we can’t measure Hart. I mean, he’s not as big as the other power forwards, but his jumping ability and mindset is incredible. Now, here’s Vanovic. Done outside. A three ball. Hatchim grabs the miss. Hatchim’s got six rebounds here tonight. LeBron kicks to Hatchima. Lopez with the block. Lopez showing off the length there to get to that shot. Harden dishes to Lopez. Back to Harden. over James. That one’s in there. The Lakers lead is cut to just five points. And the basket from James Harden and that’s right in his wheelhouse looking to make an impact when it counts. You know, they want the ball in his hands here because they trust him to hit all the big shots. And with it, guarded by Hart. Here’s Vincent. Lock at six. over Harden. Vincent misses. The Clippers have gone three of six in the field so far in the fourth quarter. LeBron against Dunn. And here’s Harden over Vincent. That one’s good. The Laker lead is put down to three on the bucket from James Harden. Lakers have gone 104 since the end of the third quarter. Here’s Vincent guarded by Hart down low and the dunk by Vanderbilt. Oh, taking it to the rack with power hammering down the two-hand slam. Really piling on the lead with a dunk like that. Now here’s Dunn. Pass to Lopez. Harden outside now. Done. James covering. Well, you see the fantastic size for a point. Done going 6’4 220. Not easy to contest inside. And he knocks down the first one for the Clippers. Zubox is checked in for Lopez. John Collins comes in for Jones. And it’s Leonard in for Boon Boddanovich. The Lakers also making some changes. Aton, he’s checked in for Vanderbilt. Austin Reeves comes in for LeBron. And Donic is subbed in for Gabe Vincent. And so Dunn nails both of them. Lakers lead by three. And JJ Reick calls timeout here. He’s not taking any chances and wants to huddle him up right away. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Right now, let’s send it over to the sideline. lines and get a report from David Aldridge. Hey guys, JJ Reick’s message with his team was simple. Now, he reminded his team, keep looking for the deep ball. If the three is there, take it. He’s done a good job getting those looks, so keep taking them. Back to you guys. Thanks, David. And the Lakers with possession here. Reeves with it. Donic outside. Reeves with the screen on Hart. And it’s Donic missing. And you don’t want to give up that kind of look too often. And that’ll be two free throws coming up. Officials on the call with the foul. Well, you know, Harden will do that every chance he gets. He cleverly goes into the defender looking for the contact to draw the foul. And nobody does it better. That free throw good from Harden. And the Clippers making a change here. Modernovich has checked in. Vanderbilts checked in for the Lakers. That one misses. They’ve got to play good defense here. That trip to the line helped and hurt. Reeves against Leonard. Pass to Vanderbilt. Here’s Donic. It’s hauled in by the Clippers. Zubots has got 11 rebounds in the game. Inside, here’s Collins. That misses and a chance to tie it there. That’s the kind of D you need when he’s got the ball near the hoop. They were all over. Vanderbilt the pass to Aton and Aton throws it down. and the all-around offensive game Aiden has is just fantastic. Capable of scoring in many different ways. Now here’s Collins. Pass to Zubox and Harden wide open. He shoots, drills the three-pointer. Harden’s got 11 points in the quarter. Pick works well there. Not much resistance from the deep. Yeah, that’s not the defense you need. You got to be tougher defensively. And count it. The shot is good. He’ll go to the free throw line. Just such strength on these finishes. When you foul Aiden, you really have to hit him to prevent the basket. And some changes here for the Lakers. Labas checked in. And it’s connect in for Hatchima. One shot. And you just have to be enticed by the skill set of Aiden, a 7 foot1 behemoth who plays with a lot of physicality and skill on both ends. Now here’s Zubox. And here’s Pardon for three. And again, it’s the Clippers from deep. Defensively, you can’t back off him that much. You don’t want to give up easy threes at this stage of the game. Eightton sets the pick for Donic. And Aon the bucket on the assist by Donic. Donic has got six assists now in the game. Outside Banovich outside Leonard. Donic against Horton. Rebounded by DeAndre. Eightton’s got 11 rebounds in the game. Back to Reeves. Takes it off the glass. Now it’s a five-point Laker lead. And so far in the second half, this has been a different kind of game than what we saw early on. No question about it. I mean, these teams are really battling hard now. And it’s still a rare sight to see rebound numbers like the ones he’s had tonight. Boy, he has put in some major work. He’s earning his pay for sure. Now here’s a pass to Reeds. Good D by Harden. And so Harden will bring it up for the Clippers. Outside Collins. And here is Zubox. And here’s Bogdanovich. He’s defended by Reeds. Clock at four. The Clippers need to get off a shot. And the rejection by Eaton. on the wing. Donic. Oh, Eaton in position and it’s out of bounds. Nice touch by Donic. No clue where that pass was going. That is a brutal turnover. Stones checked in for Bogan Vanovich. Aimura. He’s checked in for the Lakers. LeBron comes in for connect. Clippers trail by five. Harden finds Zubots. Here’s Dunn. He’s defended by Reed. Collins. A screen on Reed. Collins good. And let the big man eat. It’s clear that Collins loves getting these kinds of scoring opportunities. Anj passes to Hatchim. Lakers passing it around. Kicks it out to James. Back to Reeves front pass the arc. Yes, it’s LeBron picking up the assist. LeBron’s got his ninth assist in the game now. Done outside. Now here’s Zubox. Pass to Leonard. There’s the triple. Rebounded by DeAndre. And he didn’t punish them for the weak coverage there, but they can’t count on him to continue missing. No good. Clippers are gone. 7 of 15 from the floor here in the fourth. Right around 46 47%. Harden against Donic. Harden no good. Lakers leading by six. To the inside on the wing. Reeds. Zubox defending. Here’s Hatchimal. The Clippers grab the miss. Harden left up and the shot falls short this time. The Linker shooting about 47% here in the fourth. Here’s Hakima and the call on the shot. It sends him to the line. That one on Collins. And when Pakimura is looking to score, it sometimes forces the D to get aggressive. Love the energy. The first free throw is good. And so he’s able to get one of two. Clippers trail by seven. And here’s Harden for three. And he’s good on the three ball. Harden’s got 42 in the game. How good is that? Harden commanding the ball in these moments. Loves stepping up at crucial times. John Reeves James wide open. Good on the three-point shot. And the Lakers lead by seven. Maybe he’s not one of the elite sharpshooters, but even still, that’s not a shot that he can afford to give. Here’s Dun Dun with the block. Lucas sheer size makes him a mismatch for most guards. Reeves outside. Collins against Paty Mur. Pass to Donic. Off target there. That would have pushed the lead to double digits. and not sure they’ve got enough time to save himself. It doesn’t look good even with a quick bucket here. Harden shot is off. Lakers lead by seven. Now Hatchimon sets the pick for Donic over Harden. Donic with the bucket. Donic has got the lead up to nine now for the Lakers. Yeah, Lucas Arsenal does cover the mid-range now. That inside the arc jumper is easy for him. And the Clippers call time here. 46 seconds left in the game. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Come on. Here’s Harden. Three-pointer rebounded by DeAndre Aton. I’m shocked that didn’t turn into three points. I mean, he makes you pay on those nearly every time. And Aon throws it down. And credit the whole team. It was a focused, concerted effort to put this one away. Yeah, what a time to put the hammer down. Any hope of a comeback diminished. Martin gets the bucket. 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Lakers can just let the clock run down here. Anj outside. And so the Lakers take the win. And in the win, a comfortable win in what was, I think, gee, a pretty hostile environment. It really was. You know, it’s never going to be easy on the road, but they didn’t have too many problems with that tonight. And a chance now to send it over to David Aldridge standing by courtside. David, thanks very much. LeBron, you got after it on defense. You look motivated. You know, I heard it all from, you know, is this the last that we’ve seen of LeBron and the passion that he plays? And then defensively, um, you know, he’s not very good defensively, but you can’t single me out. You know, it will never be a possession where a coach or or a teammate or a player on opposing team will single me out defensively, um, because I’m in tune with that side as well. So, you know, we got a lot of guys that play the defensive side and it’s important for me to be on that side as well and take that challenge just as much as offensive end. Seems like you took some words to heart, man. Thanks. Back to you. Thank you, David. Well folks, that’s going to do it for now. For Greg Anthony, Clark Kellogg, and David Alders, this is Kevin Harland saying thanks for watching. But as we go, let’s take a look at our player of the game, DeAndre Aton.
Today we’re running a full CPU vs CPU simulation in NBA 2K25 featuring the Los Angeles Lakers vs LA Clippers, dated August 7, 2025.
Played on Hall of Fame difficulty with realistic sliders — expect nothing but intense back-and-forth action from tip-off to the final buzzer!
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This is not an official NBA broadcast. This is a fan-made NBA 2K25 simulation created for entertainment, storytelling, and community discussion purposes. We do this for fans who love NBA hypotheticals and want to see how 2K sees it play out!
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