With more than just city bragging rights at stake, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Lakers 118-110 last night. The Clippers moved into a tie for the eighth and final playoff spot with idle Golden State, as both teams sit 1.5 games behind the Lakers.
Kobe Bryant scored 50 points for the ninth time this season, but it was the Clippers’ duo of Corey Maggette and Elton Brand, who combined for 71 points, that made the difference at the end. The Lakers blew a lead as big as 17 in the third quarter. “Both of us are desperate for this kind of win,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said beforehand. The Clippers were more desperate, and it showed down the stretch. (More NBA stories.)