Clippers 99, Lakers 92
For at least one day, the Clippers were the best team in Los Angeles.
Eric Gordon scored a game-high 30 points and Blake Griffin put up another double-double as the Clippers recorded a 99-92 victory against the Lakers on Sunday at Staples Center.
The Lakers (30-12) led by as many as 12 in the second half and were up by seven at one point in the fourth quarter. The Clippers (14-25) staged a furious rally over the final seven minutes, closing the game on a 29-15 run.
Things turned ugly with 5.7 seconds left, as Baron Davis of the Clippers and Steve Blake, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom of the Lakers were ejected after a shoving match.
Gordon outplayed Lakers star Kobe Bryant at the offensive end, scoring his 30 points on 13-of-20 shooting and without the benefit of a made free throw. He was 0-for-2 at the line.
Bryant shot 8-for-17 from the field and 10-for-13 from the line for a team-high 27 points, and he added nine rebounds and five assists. Andrew Bynum added 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers.
The Lakers kept Griffin to a relatively quiet night by his standards, but he still managed 18 points and 15 rebounds for his 26th consecutive double-double. Davis added 14 points and eight assists for the Clippers.