Wednesday night’s clash between the Clippers and Lakers provided some early-season sizzle to what figures to be a fierce Western Conference race. The Clippers had defeated their intra-city rivals in their past 11 matchups, but LeBron James seemed intent on snapping that losing streak.
James provided a highlight play midway through the second quarter. After losing his left shoe, he passed the ball up court and was slow to join the ensuing offensive possession. The Clippers didn’t account for James on defense since he was on the other end of the court.
But once he got his shoe back on, James took advantage of that defensive indifference and streaked down the open middle of the court. Anthony Davis saw James left alone and passed to him for a thunderous dunk. Check it out:
LeBron lost his shoe, put it back on, then ran the floor to throw it DOWN.
— NBA (@NBA) November 2, 2023
All in the same play 🔨👟
📺: Lakers-Clippers | Live on ESPN pic.twitter.com/E4xQU4wuFm
LeBron puts his shoe on, sprints down the floor and throws down a dunk! pic.twitter.com/h6DL1LhMVj
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) November 2, 2023
James scored 35 points for the night to lead the Lakers to a 130–125 victory in overtime. While Wednesday’s game wasn’t a must-win so early in the season, beating the Clippers–who will soon add James Harden to their lineup–could be beneficial in the final standings.
James’s effort, the highest scoring total for a player in his 21st NBA season, demonstrated how important this win was for the Lakers. They needed that kind of effort from James and Davis (who added 27 points) to match the Clippers’ powerhouse duo of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, who combined for 73 points while keeping their shoes on.
