Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 105-102 on Friday at Crypto.com Arena.

Seven Clippers scored in double digits, led by Terance Mann with 19. Mann also had 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Luke Kennard scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half.

Lakers forward LeBron James, who was listed as questionable with left knee soreness, suited up and posted 21 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony each scored 18, and Dwight Howard posted 14 points and 16 rebounds.

A game in which the Lakers erased a 16-point Clippers lead came down to the final minute.

Forward Marcus Morris Sr. hit a jumper to put the Clips up 103-102 with 39.4 seconds left.

Marcus Morris Sr. knocks down the jumper to take the lead for the @LAClippers!@LAClippers 103@Lakers 102

24.5 remaining on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/dK1wYTCnTH

— NBA (@NBA) February 26, 2022

Westbrook missed a two-pointer in response, but the Clippers then committed an eight-second turnover violation.

The Lakers called timeout to set up a final play. The Clippers double-teamed James, who then dished to Anthony. Melo fired a deep three for the lead, but it was short.

The Lakers fouled after a rebound by Clippers forward Robert Covington, and Reggie Jackson hit two free throws for a 105-102 lead. Having used their last timeout, the Lakers needed to go the full length of the court with 2.2 seconds left. They got a gift when the ball deflected off the Clippers in the Lakers' end of the court.

James then shot a turnaround three-point jumper, but it did not connect.

Both teams were playing their first game since the All-Star break.

    

Notable Performances

Lakers F LeBron James: 21 points, 11 rebounds

Lakers F Carmelo Anthony: 18 points, 5 rebounds

Lakers PG Russell Westbrook: 18 points, 1 steal

Clippers G Terance Mann: 19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals

Clippers F Luke Kennard: 18 points, 6 rebounds

Clippers G Reggie Jackson: 17 points, 6 assists

    

Clippers Start Hot, Go Cold and Finish Strong

It was the Kennard show in the first half, as the former Duke star dropped 14 points off the bench. He hit four three-pointers by halftime.

Luke soarin’ and scorin’.

📊 14 PTS | 5-7 FG | 4-6 3FG | 4 REB pic.twitter.com/SnR7SDmqPc

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) February 26, 2022

Mann also did yeoman's work for the Clips, scoring 10 points, grabbing five rebounds, dishing three assists and recording two steals.

That Oop tho. 👀

📺 @BallySportWest | #ClipperNation pic.twitter.com/d44xfzqizt

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) February 26, 2022

https://twitter.com/LAClippers/status/1497422278732107779

As Kennard and Mann did work, the Lakers couldn't buy a three-pointer, missing their first 11 shots from beyond the arc (10 in the first quarter). They stayed in the game because Howard turned back the clock to 2009.

The Clippers opened the second half with a bucket to go up 12 points, but they proceeded to go ice cold.

The Lakers outscored the Clips 31-15 in the third to take a 78-72 advantage into the final frame.

The Clippers didn't go away, though, thanks largely to Amir Coffey. He had just two points entering the fourth quarter but then scored 12 alongside a steal and an assist.

COFF3Y IS BREWING! ☕

📺 @BallySportWest | @coffeyshop_ pic.twitter.com/SbMu2ZR2K8

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) February 26, 2022

Things seemed like they were becoming bleak after Westbrook made a layup for a five-point lead with 2:44 left, but the Clippers responded with a 10-2 run for the win.

The Lakers missed all six of their field-goal attempts after Westbrook's layup, with their only points coming off a pair of free throws. Coffey and Lakers forward Austin Reaves traded free throws before the Morris jumper gave the Clippers the lead for good.

The Clippers have showed tremendous resiliency all year without Kawhi Leonard. They've also been without Paul George for 36 games. Somehow, they're 31-31 and in position for the play-in tournament.

   

Lakers Climb All the Way Back But Can't Finish

If not for James' 14 first-half points in concert with Howard's phenomenal performance, this game could have been over by halftime.

Alas, the Lakers got the chance, but they didn't take advantage.

In response to the Clippers' frigid third-quarter start, the Lakers cut their opponents' lead own to 61-58 after a Russell Westbrook layup.

Mann responded with two straight buckets to put the Clips back up seven.

Ooooh that drive by @terance_mann. 👀

📺 @BallySportWest | #ClipperNation pic.twitter.com/z2QdkeavYf

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) February 26, 2022

But the Lakers went on a quarter-ending 20-7 run largely because of Anthony, Talen Horton-Tucker and Malik Monk.

Now that's how you end a quarter 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MYFUTuYU7T

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 26, 2022

The Clippers got back on track in the fourth quarter, but the trio of Monk, Melo and THT kept doing the work.

The Arkansas Oop pic.twitter.com/rYKbAHB1pO

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 26, 2022

Horton-Tucker had eight points in the final frame, including a three in response to a Coffey floater. Anthony then downed a pair of three-pointers.

👌 Melo hits the corner 3 to put the @Lakers up 5 on ESPN pic.twitter.com/sqf4I9QEIc

— NBA (@NBA) February 26, 2022

However, the final four minutes went poorly for the Lakers, whose offense reverted back to its cold first-half form. Credit to L.A. for storming back after a bleak start, but they couldn't finish the job.

       

What's Next?

Both teams will play Sunday.

The Lakers are hosting the New Orleans Pelicans at 10 p.m. ET. The Clippers will visit the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center at 7 p.m.

Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, who represents LeBron James, "has privately downplayed" the superstar parting ways with the Los Angeles Lakers when he becomes a free agent in 2023, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Paul told the Lakers that James remains committed to helping the franchise win another championship, Wojnarowski added. 

Paul offered his own insight into the meeting with Lakers brass, telling The Athletic's Sam Amick:

“I just don’t think (communicating indirectly) is the right way of doing business. And I don’t think that’s who we are, who LeBron is. We have a great partnership with the Lakers. The Klutch Sports Group and the Lakers don’t have an issue. Rich Paul and Rob Pelinka don’t have an issue. LeBron James and Rob Pelinka don’t have an issue. And Jeanie Buss and LeBron and Rich Paul don’t have an issue. It’s very simple. Very simple. So, you know, whoever put that type of stuff out, and people run with it, I think it’s unfair to the Lakers.”

Wojnarowski's report comes after James would not rule out a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers during an All-Star Weekend interview with The Athletic's Jason Lloyd.

“The door’s not closed on that,” James told Lloyd about a return to Cleveland. “I’m not saying I’m coming back and playing. I don’t know. I don’t know what my future holds. I don’t even know when I’m free.”

James' comments were likely sparked by his return to Cleveland for the All-Star Game. He grew up in Akron, Ohio, which is just a short distance from the city, and also spent 11 of his 19 NBA seasons with the Cavaliers. He feels a special connection with the city, and that was evident in his other comments during All-Star Weekend. 

He said, according to Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal:

“I speak to them almost every day,” James said of his childhood friends. “We have that connection and that friendship that’s been going on since we were 9 years old. Willie, Sian, Dru, Romeo, Frankie, Brandon were all here this weekend. This is the first time we’ve all been to All-Star weekend together, so it makes it even more special.

“I’m extremely happy to be here. My high school best friends that I played with my whole life are out there right now with their families. Just paying it forward to the next generation.”

Wojnarowski's report also comes after The Athletic's Bill Oram reported that James and Paul had been upset with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka for failing to make any moves at the trade deadline to improve the roster.

However, Wojnarowski reported Paul met with Pelinka and Lakers governor Jeanie Buss on Tuesday. Paul insisted "that there's no movement underway to seek management changes," according to Wojanrowski, and that he believes both management and the players are responsible for the team's struggles. 

Paul also reportedly told Pelinka and Buss that James' "primary objective is remaining a Laker" and that the focus needs to be on the team ending the 2021-22 campaign on a high note before finding ways to improve the roster during the offseason. 

The Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference with a 27-31 record. A lot of the team's struggles can be blamed on injuries to both James and Anthony Davis. However, the addition of Russell Westbrook hasn't panned out the way the franchise had hoped, and the veterans, aside from Carmelo Anthony, haven't provided enough of a spark off the bench.

For what it's worth, James has been very vocal about wanting to play at least one season of his NBA career with his son, Bronny. So if the Lakers don't draft Bronny, James will likely be playing elsewhere in the future.

“Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be," James told Lloyd. "I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point."

The Los Angeles Lakers' season hasn't gone as planned, but forward Carmelo Anthony is confident that the team can turn it around down the stretch.

Carmelo Anthony on if the Lakers are up for the challenge of this final stretch: "I think we're built for it."

— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 25, 2022

The Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference at 27-31.

Injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook's struggles in L.A. and a defense that has taken a big step back from last year—dropping from first to 16th in points allowed per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com—are some of the reasons why the team has not fared well.

Still, L.A. is squarely in the Western Conference play-in tournament, during which the Nos. 7 through 10 teams will fight for the last two playoff spots.

The Lakers have 24 games to improve their league standing, but they'll have to play for now without Davis, who has a midfoot sprain and will be reevaluated in mid-March.

The Lakers closed the front half of the season with a strong effort, though, nearly picking off the second-place Golden State Warriors in a 117-115 loss before beating the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz 106-101.

On the flip side, the Lakers have the third-hardest schedule remaining, per Tankathon. They also play four more games on the road rather than at home down the stretch.

The question will ultimately be whether this team can stay healthy when it matters most. If so, then the Lakers could make some noise in the playoffs. If not, then they may not make it out of the play-in tournament.

The Boston Celtics could look very different if Kyrie Irving got his wish while he was playing for the franchise.

Irving recruited Anthony Davis to the Celtics after telling season-ticket holders before the 2018-19 season that he planned to re-sign with Boston, according to Heavy.com's Steve Bulpett. Davis was playing for the New Orleans Pelicans and could have been acquired in an offseason trade.

However, a league executive told Bulpett that Davis and Irving had a "falling out":

It was looking like Anthony Davis was going to go to Boston with Kyrie there for a stretch. That's what Kyrie wanted. Boston would have had to work it out with New Orleans, but once Anthony made his decision of where he wanted to go, the Pelicans wouldn't have had much choice.

But that's the way it was going. I think people assumed at first that [Kevin] Durant would stay with Golden State, so Kyrie was courting AD to join him in Boston. It was looking good, but then Anthony and Kyrie had a little bit of a falling out for some reason. I think Kyrie fell more in love with Kevin Durant as opposed to Anthony Davis. Maybe he realized KD was possible.

Another source told Bulpett that Irving "had a good team in Boston, but he wanted to play with another superstar." The star point guard reportedly began the year recruiting for the Celtics, but when he realized the team wasn't going to acquire that caliber of player, his feelings changed.

A third source told Bulpett that Irving "fell out of love with Boston" for several reasons, including that some of the young players didn't respect him like he wanted. In addition, Irving felt like former head coach Brad Stevens didn't know how to coach a superstar, the source added.

It's unclear what caused the reported falling-out between Irving and Davis. However, Irving left the Celtics after the 2018-19 campaign and joined Kevin Durant with the Brooklyn Nets, while Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Irving is in his third season with the Nets, but he has played just 14 games this year. Irving, who isn't vaccinated against COVID-19, hasn't been able to play in home games because of New York City's vaccination mandate for indoor arenas.

The 29-year-old is averaging 24.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent from deep. Having him off the court for home games has hurt the Nets, who sit eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 31-29 record. 

As for Davis, he won an NBA title in his first season with the Lakers. However, injuries have limited the veteran to 37 games this season. Still, he is averaging 23.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 blocks while shooting 53.7 percent.

The Lakers have struggled this season and are ninth in the Western Conference with a 27-31 record.

A tandem of Irving and Davis would have been fascinating in Boston. They'd likely be playing alongside Jayson Tatum, who is blossoming into one of the best young players in the NBA, and possibly Jaylen Brown.

However, Boston has been fine without either player. The team is playing strong defense and sits sixth in the East with a 35-26 record. 

Crypto.com Arena announced new COVID-19 guidelines Friday related to the wearing of masks by fans.

As part of the announcement, the arena noted that those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will no longer have to wear masks at the venue, while those who are not vaccinated must continue to wear masks unless they are eating or drinking:

Fully vaccinated fans no longer required to wear masks at Crypto.comArena pic.twitter.com/Y37kOJYh3z

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 25, 2022

Crypto.com Arena, which was previously known as Staples Center, is home to the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.

The change in policy at Crypto.com Arena comes amid cities across the United States loosening COVID-19 restrictions.

New York City has been among the most stringent locales in terms of its coronavirus rules to the point that they prevent unvaccinated players from playing in their home venues.

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, who is unvaccinated, has only been permitted to play in road games this season as a result.

New York Mayor Eric Adams said this week, however, that progress is being made toward ending the ordinance.

Even Toronto is loosening its COVID-19 restrictions despite Canada having even stricter guidelines than the U.S. for much of the pandemic.

No fans were allowed to attend Toronto Raptors home games for a period of time this season, but it was announced this month that fans will no longer require proof of vaccination to attend.

The state of California is moving toward easing restrictions as well, including the potentially eliminating the indoor mask mandate for students from kindergarten through 12th grade in the near future.

Getting rid of the mask mandate for vaccinated fans at Crypto.com Arena is among the first big steps the state has made in its attempt to ease its way back to normalcy.

The first event to occur at Crypto.com Arena with the new guidelines in place will be Friday night when the Lakers and Clippers clash in a key Western Conference tilt.

LeBron James likes to call himself "The Kid from Akron," so it's only fitting his hometown would honor him with a museum. 

Per Craig Webb of the Akron Beacon Journal, the LeBron James Museum is expected to open in 2023 as part of the House Three Thirty community hub. 

Michele Campbell, executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, told Webb the organization has been thinking about a museum for a while, and the stream of visitors to the I Promise School in the area helped give them the idea.

"When the school opened, we never anticipated the number of people who would come just to take a picture of the sign," Campbell said. "This museum will be fun for everyone."

According to Webb, the exhibits will begin with aspects of his life growing up in Akron, how he honed his basketball skills and eventually focus on his NBA career. 

The LeBron James Family Foundation opened the I Promise School in Akron in 2018. The elementary school is aimed toward providing at-risk children a full education and get families involved in activities to create a supportive environment at home and in the classroom. 

Jennifer Pignolet of the Akron Beacon Journal reported on Thursday that Akron Public Schools is studying the feasibility of opening an I Promise facility for high-schoolers. 

James called the school "one of the greatest moments (if not the greatest) of my life" prior to its opening in 2018.     

NBA superstar LeBron James reflected on the upcoming 10-year anniversary of Trayvon Martin's death Friday, saying it sparked his desire to "give voices to people that don't have voices."

Martin, a 17-year-old Black high school student, was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman on Feb. 26, 2012 in Sanford, Florida.

Zimmerman followed Martin, who was unarmed as he walked home from a local convenience store, while on the phone with police reporting the teenager as a suspicion person.

A Florida jury found Zimmerman, who said he shot Martin in self-defense after the two had a physical altercation, not guilty of all charges in July 2013.

James, who was a member of the Miami Heat at the time, and his teammates took a photo wearing hoodies, a clothing item worn by Martin on the night of his death:

#WeAreTrayvonMartin #Hoodies #Stereotyped #WeWantJustice http://t.co/tH6baAVo

— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 23, 2012

Now with the Los Angeles Lakers, the four-time NBA MVP told ESPN's Dave McMenamin in an interview released Friday that picture was an important moment in his growth as a social activist:

That was our moment of solidarity. Not only for Trayvon Martin and not only for his family, but for every Black kid in America and in the world who wears a hoodie.

You're not a criminal because you put a hood over the top of your head. It's a uniform for us. That's what we do. That's what we wear. We don't have the luxury of wearing suits or having button-downs. We don't have the means to get sweaters and things of that nature. Our uniform is T-shirts, hoodies and shorts. That's our uniform growing up as a Black kids in the inner city.

That was our moment to be able to let Trayvon Martin and his family know, but the whole entire Black community and also white America know, that we ain't for that bulls--t.

James added it took him a while to find his voice outside of basketball—"Until you know who you are, it's hard to speak for other people."—but also noted that the rise of social media played a role in his activism.

Timing is everything. I was growing at the same time that the world was seeing these things that had always been happening, but because of some smart motherf--kers in tech, they were able to put these phones and these cameras and these direct things that were happening right now to the eyes of people. And I was growing at that same time and I had that platform. So it was, it was just [in sync].

The 37-year-old Ohio native has gone on to become one of the most prominent Black voices when it comes to social justice and activism. He's won two NAACP Image Awards, the Jackie Robinson Sports Award in 2017 and the President's Award in 2021, for his work.

James told McMenamin those efforts will continue as he plans to "speak up for my people no matter if [society] likes it or not:"

It's never going to stop. It's never going to stop, but that don't mean we stop. 'Can't stop, won't stop' is what Diddy says. At the end of the day, we know the turmoil and everything that's going on. They're going to look at Black people how they've always viewed us: Smile in our face and [act like] it's fine.

But at the end of the day, we can't stop. We can't stop speaking up for things that are unjust. We can't stop speaking up about things that we feel are wrong—or things that are right. And calling out people that literally are simply just bad people.

The perennial All-Star forward and wife Savannah have a 17-year-old son, Bronny, and two other children, son Bryce (14) and daughter Zhuri (seven).

James, who's also played two stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers in addition to his time in Miami and L.A., is currently in the midst of his 19th NBA season.

Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James fueled speculation that a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers is in his future by saying "the door's not closed" on a possible reunion.

But James' comments didn't seem to phase Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, who dismissed the remarks as simple rumors on Thursday.

"I learned to let the noise be noise. ... I enjoyed the break with my family," Vogel told reporters. "That's just noise."

James' comments came during All-Star weekend, which was held in Cleveland. The Akron, Ohio native spent his first seven seasons with the Cavaliers before joining the Miami Heat and then returning to Cleveland for another four seasons. He helped lead the franchise and the city to its first championship in 2016.

James also repeated his desire to finish his NBA career on the same team as his son, LeBron James Jr.

"My last year will be played with my son," James told The Athletic (h/t ESPN). "Wherever Bronny is at, that's where I'll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point."

Bronny James is ranked in 247Sports composite as the No. 34 player in the class of 2023. He would be eligible to be drafted in 2024, when his father would be 39 years old.

But for now, James isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He signed a two-year, $85 million deal last year with Los Angeles and will be a free agent ahead of the 2023-24 season, which would be his 21st in the league.

The Los Angeles Lakers need all the help they can get to improve their postseason standing in the latter half of the season, and they received some good news in that regard Thursday.

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel told reporters that forward Carmelo Anthony is expected to return from his hamstring injury in Friday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Anthony hasn't played since Feb. 3.

In his first season in Los Angeles, Anthony has settled nicely into a bench role. He ranks fourth on the team with 13.4 points per game and he's connecting on 39.2 percent of his three-pointers. But this season hasn't gone how anyone expected for the Lakers.

Los Angeles is ninth in the Western Conference with a record of 27-31 and has struggled to find consistency throughout the year. With 24 games left on the schedule, the team needs to make a run to avoid the play-in tournament. It would be a far cry from a team that had expectations of competing for an NBA title, thanks in part to offseason acquisitions like Anthony.

The Lakers added a slew of veteran players, but most haven't panned out. Most notably, former MVP Russell Westbrook has not been a good fit alongside Los Angeles star LeBron James. Westbrook is averaging under 20 points for the first time since his second season in the league, and he's been pulled from the team's closing lineup on multiple occasions.

Injuries have also played a part in the Lakers' struggles this year. Star big man Anthony Davis, who had recently returned from a lengthy absence because a sprained MCL, is set to miss more time because of a sprained ankle he suffered right before the All-Star break.