Mozgov, Young Help Lakers Upset Clippers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nick Young and Timofey Mozgov scored 19 points apiece and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped their 11-game losing streak in their rivalry with the Los Angeles Clippers with a 111-102 victory Sunday night.
Lou Williams and D'Angelo Russell added 14 points each for the Lakers, who hadn't beaten their Staples Center co-tenants since opening night of the 2013-14 season. The streak was tied for the Lakers' longest against any team since moving to Los Angeles a half-century ago, and it was the Clippers' longest active winning streak against any opponent.
But with Clippers cornerstones Blake Griffin and Chris Paul sidelined by injuries, the Lakers had a season-high seven scorers in double digits. They surged from a halftime deficit to an 18-point lead during a dynamite third quarter for their second win in 14 games.
The Lakers also won on Christmas for the 22nd time, matching the Knicks' NBA record.
J.J. Redick scored 22 points before sitting out the fourth quarter with a sore left hamstring for the Clippers, who couldn't overcome the absence of their two best players and top scorers in just their third loss in nine games. Griffin is out for at least a month after right knee surgery, while Paul was a late scratch for the second straight game with a left hamstring strain.
Jamal Crawford also scored 22 points, and DeAndre Jordan had seven points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six assists.
The Lakers returned from a discouraging 1-6 road trip to begin a five-game homestand with their first meeting of the season against the Clippers, who have supplanted their 16-time champion neighbors as the most competitive team in basketball-crazy Los Angeles.
Despite their recent monthlong slump, the Lakers are competitive again after the three worst seasons in franchise history and the retirement of Kobe Bryant, the leading scorer in NBA history on Christmas.
The Clippers held an 11-point lead during the first half, but the Lakers scored the first 11 points out of halftime and eventually stretched their run to 28-12, taking a 15-point lead into the fourth.
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