The Lakers and Clippers used to share a hallway on game nights. Now they’ve got separate arenas — and rosters that look nothing like the ones that made the Battle of L.A. feel so familiar.

LeBron James is in Philadelphia. Kawhi Leonard's in Toronto. James Harden and Ivica Zubac are gone from the Clippers, too. Rui Hachimura crossed town and will walk into Crypto.com Arena wearing the other team’s uniform.

So, yes, this is still a rivalry. It’s just a new version of one. And Friday’s game will show us what the Battle of L.A. looks like when neither team can fall back on the old script.

A New Look for Both Teams

A little history helps here. The Lakers and Clippers shared a building for 25 years before the Clippers moved into Intuit Dome in 2024, and somehow, they’ve never met in the postseason. Last season, they split four games, including a 125–122 Lakers win in February. Luka Dončić scored 38 in that one and Austin Reaves added 29. It was a good reminder of how quickly those two can take over a close game. It’s not much of a blueprint for Friday, though. Too much has changed since then.

Both teams opened the season with convincing wins. The Lakers handled Golden State 127–105, and Walker Kessler’s first game alongside Dončić looked almost unfair: 26 points, 12 made shots, and not a single miss. Luka finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Reaves added 23. The Lakers also scored 66 points in the paint, which is the part opponents now have to figure out. Luka doesn’t need much room to find a rolling big, and Kessler gave him a target who seemed determined to finish everything near the rim.

Across town, the Clippers ran away from Sacramento, 121–96. Darius Garland scored 30, Brook Lopez came off the bench for 17 points and 11 rebounds, and rookie Keaton Wagler looked completely comfortable with 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists. It was only one game, and it came against the Kings, but it showed what this Clippers team can be: younger in important spots and happy to let Garland dictate the action.

This is the matchup I keep coming back to. The Lakers have been drawing things up to keep Kessler close to the rim, which makes sense. Rim protection is a big reason they brought him in. The problem is that Garland can pull up behind a screen. If the Lakers’ guards get stuck on Garland’s hip while Kessler hangs back, Garland gets the jumper. If Kessler steps up, the lane opens behind him. That’s where the Clippers need their cutters and bigs to make the Lakers pay.

The Late-Game Question

At the other end, Tyronn Lue has Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. to bother Dončić. They can make him work to start possessions, and he did turn it over six times against the Warriors. They still have to deal with what happens after the first defender is beaten. Send help at Dončić and Kessler is heading for the rim. Stay home and Dončić gets to pick his shot. Then there’s Reaves, who can run an entirely different attack while Dončić rests or when the Clippers load up on him.

That second creator matters most if this is close with five minutes left. The Clippers have Garland, and they’ll trust him. They don’t have injured Brandon Ingram, Max Strus or Bradley Beal available to give him another established scoring option. Wagler’s opening night was promising, but asking a rookie to rescue late possessions against the Lakers in his second NBA game is a lot. Lopez can stretch the floor; Hachimura has every reason to want a strong night against his former team. Somebody still has to make the hard shot when Garland gets crowded.

That’s why I lean Lakers. Their opener showed a clean path to points through Dončić, Reaves and Kessler, and they have two proven guards to share the late-game burden. The Clippers have a real way to upset that: Garland makes the Lakers’ perimeter defense chase him, Dunn and Jones turn pressure into extra possessions, and the supporting cast keeps producing.

I see the Lakers winning pretty easily in this one. I just think Friday will show that Kessler gives the Lakers' stars an answer they didn’t have before.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com.

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