Nov 25, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) is fouled by Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesGrant MonaWed, November 26, 2025 at 4:05 PM UTC·4 min readThe Los Angeles Clippers entered Tuesday night's NBA Cup matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers knowing what was at stake, but familiar problems continued to haunt them in a 135-118 loss at Crypto.com Arena.
The defeat drops the Clippers to 5-13 on the season and marks their 11th loss in their last 13 games, while the Lakers improve to 13-4 and clinch West Group B with their fifth straight win.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStars Struggle While Role Players Step Up
While James Harden put together another productive outing with 29 points, five rebounds and nine assists, his co-star Kawhi Leonard struggled to find his rhythm in just his second game back from a 10-game absence due to an ankle injury.
Leonard finished with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists, but shot just 20 percent from three-point range and could not match the firepower coming from the Lakers' side.
The Lakers' trio of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James combined for 99 points on 59 field goal attempts, proving too much for the Clippers to handle. Doncic was especially dominant, pouring in 43 points with 13 assists and nine rebounds while knocking down seven three-pointers.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCollins, Dunn Provide Bright Spots
Despite the loss, some positives emerged from the Clippers' supporting cast.
John Collins delivered a solid 18-point performance and Kris Dunn added 19 points on efficient 8-of-13 shooting while also helping slow down Doncic in the second half. Collins and Dunn combined to shoot 13-of-15 from the floor in the first half alone, keeping the Clippers within striking distance heading into the break.
However, Dunn's night ended early when he was ejected with 3:33 remaining after shoving Doncic and then swatting at Jaxson Hayes, who had pushed Dunn from behind in retaliation. Doncic addressed the incident after the game, saying he was not going to let the cheap shot slide.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I was waiting for a rebound after that cheap shot on my back," Doncic said. "I'm not gonna stand there and let it go. I ain't afraid of nobody. But that's what the game is about. Sometimes it's gonna get physical. There's a lot of trash talk. I live for that."
Zubac Struggles Against Lakers' Small Ball
Starting center Ivica Zubac, who had been averaging nearly 20 points and 13 rebounds over his previous 10 games, was held in check against his former team.
Zubac finished with just 10 points and 10 rebounds, a quiet double-double compared to his recent dominance.
With the Lakers' Deandre Ayton out due to a knee injury, Jaxson Hayes started at center, and the Lakers exploited the Clippers inside, outscoring them 62-48 in the paint and 22-8 in transition.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Clippers shot 51.9 percent from the field but allowed the Lakers to connect on 57.5 percent of their attempts, including a scorching 44.8 percent from three-point range.
Leonard Calls for Better Talent
After the loss, Leonard did not hold back when addressing the team's struggles with consistency.
"Just gotta get the right lineups on the court, I guess. Get some more talent. Play with better talent and see what happens," Leonard said before clarifying. "I'm saying like playing better. Like we all just gotta play better. Make shots."
Leonard also acknowledged the defensive issues that have plagued the Clippers all season. "Yeah, man, I think we got to start making it a little bit harder on the better offensive players on the other teams," he said. "We got to turn it around. That's the only thing we got to do. We still like to play the game and now we just got to put some urgency in and try to win."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhat's Next
The Clippers will need to regroup quickly as they face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday in their final NBA Cup group stage game. A win would keep their wildcard hopes alive, but based on their recent performances, turning things around will require more than just showing up.
The Lakers, meanwhile, host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday with momentum firmly on their side and a knockout round berth already secured.
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