The Los Angeles Lakers returned from the All-Star hiatus with a narrow 125-122 victory over the L.A. Clippers on Friday night, Feb. 20, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Key moment: LeBron James, playing despite knee soreness, and Luka Dončić powered a late push that preserved the win after Kawhi Leonard exited with left-ankle soreness in the final minutes.
How it unfolded
• Center Brook Lopez scored the Clippers’ first seven points, while Austin Reaves matched him for the Lakers.
• James added a transition layup, a mid-range fadeaway and a three-pointer to claim the Lakers’ initial lead.
• Dončić caught fire from deep, draining multiple long-range shots and finding Jaxson Hayes for an alley-oop as Los Angeles closed the opening quarter ahead 41-30.
Early in the second period, James absorbed an elbow to the ribs that was ruled a Flagrant 1 foul. Leonard responded with six straight points, but Dončić kept pace, and the Lakers entered halftime up 72-65.
The Lakers opened the third quarter by stretching the margin to 15, only to watch the Clippers answer with a 20-3 run for a brief lead. Dončić’s timely three and Luke Kennard’s driving layup steadied the hosts, who carried a 99-95 edge into the fourth.
Lopez’s corner three put the Clippers back in front early in the final period. Marcus Smart, scoreless until then, hit consecutive jumpers, and Dončić followed with a steal and a triple to restore control. Leonard’s late departure and Bennedict Mathurin’s disqualification for six fouls blunted the Clippers’ rally, allowing the Lakers to close out their second home win over their city rivals this season.
Stat line
• Season series: tied 2-2, each club winning both home games.
• Final score: Lakers 125, Clippers 122.
What’s next
The Lakers host the Boston Celtics on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 3:30 p.m. PT. The matchup will air on NBC and Peacock.
Source: LakersNation.com
