Lakers vs. Clippers Preview and Game Thread: The Luka Dončić era begins

The Lakers will play their first game since the blockbuster trade for Luka Dončić against the Clippers on Tuesday.

The Lakers will officially begin the Luka Dončić era in Los Angeles, ironically without the superstar himself, as they take on the L.A. Clippers on Tuesday.

This is technically considered a road game for the purple and gold, so it is the last one in their current six-game Grammy trip. They have won four of their last five games.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. L.A. Clippers

When: 7 PST, Feb 4.

Where: Intuit Dome

Watch: TNT

Yeah, I’m still in utter disbelief as I typed this preview’s headline. Luka Dončić is officially a Laker. But that also means Anthony Davis no longer is one and I’m sure Lakers fans are equally sad and excited as I’ve been since the trade shocked the world. And all I’m going to say is that I’m thankful the Lakers had two days off for all of us to process this.

When I wrote my preview two games ago about whether or not the Lakers could survive Anthony Davis’s absence, little did I know that AD’s absence would be permanent. As a new chapter in Lakerland unfolds, suffice it to say this season resets.

That’s not to say the Lakers will no longer do their best to win a championship this season. After all, they’re still in fifth place in the Western Conference with a record of 28-19.

While Dončić is not expected to suit up in the next couple of games as he continues to recover from a calf injury, L.A. has to do its best to remain afloat while Rob Pelinka and the front office figure out how to complete a team that will attempt to make it all the way to the NBA Finals this year.

The Lakers have so far survived AD’s absence but can they keep doing so while they wait for Dončić’s impending return? We’re about to find out.

And oh, they take on the Clippers on Tuesday

From all the Lakers’ 29 opponents around the league, of course it’ll be the Clippers that will snap them back into reality after rightfully being sidetracked by arguably the biggest trade in NBA history.

It’s the same Clipper team that dismantled the Lakers by 14 points no less than a month ago. Knowing the Lakers have been the talk of the NBA after acquiring their present and future in Dončić, there’s no doubt that the Clippers will come out eager and motivated to win this one again. That’s how they usually approach games against their city rivals and, honestly, good for them. The Lakers have had difficulty playing the Clippers since AD’s arrival in Los Angeles.

With a complete team minus the presence of Cam Christie, the Clippers will certainly have the advantage in this one. I know I said the same thing in my preview for the Knicks game but, once again, the purple and gold will have to pull off another massive upset to win this one. Hopefully, the two days of rest energized the team enough to help them do just that.

For the Clippers, look out for Ivica Zubac — who tallied 21 points and 19 rebounds last game against the Lakers — to attempt to dominate this one again. The Lakers’ very thin frontcourt of Jaxson Hayes, Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison III will have to be ready. Same goes with Norman Powell, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, who challenge the Lakers’ defense.

The key for the Lakers to win this one is to get another incredible performance from LeBron James, who is coming off a triple-double performance against the Knicks. Hopefully, L.A. makes their shots from the perimeter, too, because that’s the best way to keep up with the Clippers’ offense. It’ll be nice to see another collective effort from Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dalton Knecht and Gabe Vincent.

Whatever the result, this would be an understandable loss for the Lakers given the circumstances. Still, it shouldn’t excuse them from competing hard and putting up a fight. Hopefully, their momentum of late carries over to this one and propels them to nab another upset victory. That would be a superb way to begin the Luka Dončić era in Los Angeles.

Let’s see if the Lakers can outshine the Clippers like they always do once again on Tuesday.

Notes and Updates

• Before we get to the injury report, I would just like to give Max Christie a shoutout. I know I talked about AD above and how sad we Lakers fans are that he’s no longer going to don the purple and gold armor, but the same goes with Christie, who was having a superb season for the Lakers. It felt right that his last game as a Laker was one of his best where he scored 15 points and was a huge factor in beating New York. All the best to Max and Jalen Hood-Schifino moving forward.
• As for the Lakers’ injury report, LeBron James (left foot injury management) is probable.
• Dorian Finney-Smith (right shoulder contusion) and Gabe Vincent (left knee contusion) are questionable. It’s worth noting, though, that both of them suited up against the Knicks on Saturday.
• Luka Dončić (left calf strain), Maxi Kleber (right foot fracture) and Christian Wood (left knee surgery recovery) are out.
• As for the Clippers, only Cam Christie (left ankle sprain) is out.
• We will be live on Playback for this game, so be sure to join us!

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.