The Clippers showed once again that they are the big bosses in Los Angeles with a dominating win over the Lakers
The Los Angeles Clippers made once again a strong statement. Not only should they be considered as a title contender, but now they are for sure the conquerors of the city of Los Angeles. In a Thursday night matchup, they rolled past the Lakers with a 24-point outing, 125-101. The usual suspects, Paul and Griffin, continued to show their talents and with the help of the 16-year veteran guard, Chauncey Billups, who just recently returned to action, got a devastating win at the Staples Center.
The Clippers have now won their season series against the Lakers, and it’s the first time they achieve this since the 1992-93 season, with one game left between the two teams in April. Not only that, but they have improved their record to 39-17, and they find themselves just 2.5 games behind the second-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. For sure they are eligible to chase the Western Conference championship title, and they have made it clear to all the fans and the basketball world in LA that they are now the conquerors of the City.
Despite the turnaround effort from the Lakers, led by Kobe with 20 points, the show the Clips put together was way too much for the Lakers to follow; they just couldn’t overcome an early 15-0 deficit. It was, Billups who made the difference, shooting an incredible 70% from the field and hit five from 7 from beyond the arc, finishing with 21 points. His team was already dead even without him. Now that he has come back, his presence could put the Clippers into an immediate championship-chasing position.
Who could imagine at the start of this season that the team from the City of Angels that would be making a run for a ring would be the Clippers and not the Lakers? Now that we are vastly approaching the NBA All-Star break it might be a good chance for Mike D’Antoni’s team to regroup and focus on improving the little details that could save the season. It’s clearly shown that some changes have to be done and that there should be no more excuses going forward.
As for the Clippers, the aim should now be overpassing the Thunder, so that they can have an advantage come playoff time. They have proved their dominance, and they have also confirmed that now it’s their time to shine. The great combination of young star power and veteran experience is what may allow them to do great things. For half the City of LA, it’s time for scepticism and reformation. For the other part, it’s time for controlled enthusiasm and a strong push towards the finish line.
The Clippers and Lakers face off one more time this season on April 7th at the STAPLES Center. This game is a Clippers Home Game.