Lakers’ late push helps them beat Clippers in Summer League clash
Mason Jones (15 points, 10 rebounds) and three other Lakers score in double figures as they pull away for an 83-72 win in Las Vegas; Brandon Boston Jr. and Jay Scrubb score 15 apiece for the Clippers
The Lakers’ Scotty Pippen Jr. shoots over the Clippers’ Moussa Diabate during the first half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Lakers’ Max Christie drives around the Clippers’ Keaton Wallace during the first half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Lakers’ Sacha Killeya-Jones shoots over the Clippers’ Moussa Diabate during the first half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Lakers’ Paris Bass, right, attempt to steal the ball from the Clippers’ Jarrell Brantley during the first half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Lakers’ Cole Swider shoots around the Clippers’ Jarrell Brantley during the first half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Lakers’ Scotty Pippen Jr. passes around the Clippers’ Moussa Diabate during the first half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Lakers’ Mason Jones attempts a shot around the Clippers’ Cam Reynolds during the first half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
NBA commissioner Adam Silver watches the first half of an NBA Summer League game between the Lakers and Clippers on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Lakers’ Scotty Pippen Jr. shoots over the Clippers’ Moussa Diabate during the first half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Clippers’ Brandon Boston drives around the Lakers’ Cole Swider during the second half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Clippers’ Brandon Boston drives around the Lakers’ Max Christie during the second half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Lakers’ Mason Jones fouls the Clippers’ Brandon Boston during the second half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Clippers’ Xavier Moon drives around the Lakers’ Javante McCoy during the second half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Lakers rookie Shareef O’Neal watches during the second half of their NBA Summer League game against the Clippers on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Clippers’ Brandon Boston drives around the Lakers’ Max Christie during the second half of their NBA Summer League game on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Sure, the Clippers have beaten the Lakers in seven consecutive regular-season meetings. In Summer League play, however, the Lakers can claim a winning streak.
They followed last season’s two-point victory in the clash-of-L.A.-in-Las-Vegas with an 83-72 victory over the Clippers on Tuesday night at Thomas & Mack Center.
Mason Jones’ 15 points and 10 rebounds gave the Lakers their first win in Las Vegas and a 3-3 overall record this summer – they went 2-1 in the four-team California Classic in San Francisco earlier this month. The Clippers fell to 1-1 in Las Vegas.
The Lakers had three other players score in double figures – Javante McCoy (17), Sacha Killeya-Jones (11) and Nate Pierre-Louis (10) – as 35th-overall draft pick Max Christie (eight points) hit a dagger 3-pointer from the corner to put his side ahead, 76-68, with 1:41 left.
It was a quieter night for a trio of undrafted Laker rookies. Scotty Pippen Jr. had eight points and four assists while shooting 2 for 7 from the field with no turnovers in 18 minutes. Cole Swider had eight points, four rebounds and three assists and shot 2 for 6 from 3-point range in 24 minutes. Shareef O’Neal had two points, one rebound and one blocked shot in seven minutes.
After trailing by as many as 12 points early on, the Lakers broke open a 62-62 tie entering the fourth quarter by outscoring the Clippers 21-10 in the final period of a game broadcast on ESPN.
For the game, the Clippers were outscored 38-28 in the paint and proved shaky at the line, where they earned 33 free throws but made only 20 of them.
Brandon Boston Jr. and Jay Scrubb led the Clippers with 15 points apiece, though neither proved especially efficient, shooting 3 for 12 and 4 for 11 from the field, respectively. Scrubb was involved in an awkward collision with second-round pick Moussa Diabaté late in the game beneath the Clippers’ basket, but both players were able to continue playing.
The Lakers’ next game is Friday at 8 p.m. against New Orleans (ESPN 2). The Clippers play again Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Denver (NBA TV).
