Despite a furious rally to get back in the game after being down 10 at halftime, the Lakers once again failed to put away an opponent, losing 105-102 to the Clippers in a game that came down to the wire.
LeBron James once again led the way with 21 points, and Russell Westbrook chipped in 18 in a solid performance by his current standards. The Lakers also got key help when they needed it most from Carmelo Anthony and (especially) Talen Horton-Tucker, but their defense could not keep the Clippers down, and the team across the hallway took a 3-0 season series lead on a go-ahead fadeaway from Marcus Morris in the final minute, making it even more unlikely that the Lakers can pass them for the eighth seed and get a more desirable slot in the play-in game.