EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Here are three takeaways from the Lakers’ 116-109 loss to the Clippers Tuesday night.
1. Championship hangover, anyone?
The evening started with bling but ended pretty blah for the Lakers, who enjoyed their championship ring ceremony before the game but failed to follow up with a win.
The Lakers trailed by 22 in the first quarter and looked like a team that went a mere 71 days since their last game, the shortest off-season ever for any major pro North American sport.
The defense struggled from the start and surrendered 39 first-quarter points. Paul George finished with 33 points in 36 minutes while Kawhi Leonard added 26 points for the Clippers.
The good news for the Lakers? They lost to the Clippers in last year’s season opener and everything turned out pretty well for them.
2. The Lakers’ two big off-season additions were solid.
Montrezl Harrell looked very active in his Lakers debut, totaling 17 points and 10 rebounds while picking up extra time at center because Marc Gasol was in foul trouble.
Harrell was the team’s biggest free-agent acquisition last month and although he couldn’t get a win against his former team, he will undeniably play a big role this season.
Dennis Schröder didn’t shoot well (five for 15) but finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists.
A reserve the last two seasons in Oklahoma City, Schröder said earlier this month he wanted to be a starter for the Lakers. He got his wish Tuesday and looked like a good fit.
3. Two other new Lakers didn’t make an impact.
Gasol was scoreless and had more fouls (five) than rebounds (one) in only 12 minutes. He started at center but never found much flow because of foul trouble. He left the game for good after picking up his fifth with 7:07 left in the third quarter.
Veteran swingman Wesley Matthews was also scoreless in his first game with the Lakers. He missed both his shots in 11 minutes of play and did not have an assist or rebound in a reserve role.