The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 112-104 on Thursday night, yet head coach Tyronn Lue walked into the post-game press room visibly irritated.
When asked by reporter Tomer Azarly why he looked upset, Lue replied, “Because I wanted to blow them out,” according to Grant Mona of The Sporting Tribune.
Clippers controlled early
The game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, opened with the Clippers racing to a 36-29 first-quarter lead and a 64-47 advantage at halftime. The victory was their 14th in the last 17 contests.
The Lakers narrowed the gap in the second half but never erased the deficit, cutting it to single digits before falling by eight.
Doncic reaches career milestone
Lakers star Luka Doncic recorded his 4,000th career assist with his fifth dime of the night. The 26-year-old finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, matching the timeline on which LeBron James reached the same assist mark—also in his eighth season at age 26.
Lue’s frustration came despite the win, a reflection of the city rivalry and the Clippers’ recent surge, which he did not want to see threatened by a late Lakers push.
Source: lakersnation.com
