Tonight both Los Angeles teams are set to face one another at the Crypto.com arena while coming off of pretty triumphant victories. For the Lakers, it was their victory against the Portland Trail Blazers, led by D’Angelo Russell’s “aggressive” 34 performance. In the case of the Clippers, it was Kawhi Leonard‘s excellent clutch performance in the fourth quarter that helped them close out the despite an 18-point deficit and going on an 18-0 run.

Now, the battle between the city rivals is always interesting as both teams share the home court and always vying for the ‘best LA team title’. However, the question that remains is will the Kawhi and Paul George suit up for the game?

PG and Kawhi Leonard set to play

Per ESPN, the injury report only lists Ivica Zubac and Moussa Diabate. Zubac is out with a right calf strain and Diabate is sidelined with a right hand metacarpal fracture. It can be deduced that both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard will play tonight. As per reports, Zubac will be away from the team for another three weeks as he was diagnosed on January 16th with the right calf stair, and it is a four-week evaluation process.

However, the Lakers will be left short-handed as both LeBron James (due to an ankle injury) and Anthony Davis (achilleas tendinopathy) will not play. Other key members of the Lakers’ roster, such as Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt, will also be on the sidelines tonight. This means that the Clippers will be facing the Lakers’ second unit led by D’Angelo Russel and Austin Reaves, which could go either way for them.

PG and Kawhi Leonard, who battled injuries in recent seasons, are thriving in 2023-24. George played only 31 and 56 games in the past two seasons but has already participated in 39 out of 41 Clippers’ games this year. Leonard, absent in 2021-22 due to an ACL injury, played 52 games last season and has played 37 this season.

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With a strong Clippers line-up taking on a short-handed Lakers, the balance certainly tips in the former’s favor. But let’s also consider their track record.

How are the Clippers doing compared to the Lakers this season?

In their two encounters this season, the LA Lakers emerged victorious against the Clippers. Their most recent clash, on Jan. 7, saw the Lakers secure a 106-103 win, with LeBron James contributing scoring 25 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and dishing out seven assists, while also making a steal.

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Prior to that, on Nov. 1, the Lakers triumphed in overtime with a score line of 130-125, with LeBron James once again playing a key role, putting up a double-double of 35 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, two blocks, and a steal. With James sidelined for the game, can the Clippers win tonight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

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