LOS ANGELES _ Being home meant something to the young Los Angeles Lakers.
Not that coming home was easy.
In their first game home after a 12-day road trip, the Lakers were to face the team that shares their building and their city, and that was once one of the hottest teams in the Western Conference. The Lakers found their footing against the shorthanded Clippers on Sunday. In the NBA's Christmas finale, the Lakers beat the Clippers, 111-102.
The win snapped an 11-game winning streak by the Clippers in the series.
Seven Lakers scored in double figures _ every starter as well as Brandon Ingram and Lou Williams. Center Timofey Mozgov and guard Nick Young led the Lakers with 19 points each.
Clippers guards J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford each scored 22 points. They were two of three Clippers to reach double figures.
Historically, the series is lopsided in favor of the Lakers. They are the city's marquee franchise, and wore a nod to that on their chests, whether intentional or not. The Lakers jerseys said simply: Los Angeles, printed in a purple script. The Clippers' said "L.A. Clippers."
But the Clippers' 11-game winning streak heading into Sunday's game was the longest any team has had against the Lakers since they moved to Los Angeles. The Clippers entered the game with the third-best record in the Western Conference, and a roster that included legitimate stars.
Neither team entered Sunday with much momentum, though.
The Lakers were playing their first home game in exactly two weeks, having returned Saturday from their longest road trip of the season. The seven-game trip taxed the Lakers. They went 1-6, were never fully healthy, and blew 19-point leads in two separate losses.
The Clippers meanwhile, have only nine losses this season, but seven of them have come in the last 15 games. Injuries have also plagued them. Neither All-Star forward Blake Griffin nor All-Star point guard Chris Paul played Sunday.
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