Los Angeles Lakers: Why Loss to LA Clippers Does Not Matter at All

The Lakers knew they were in for a test Saturday night. This wasn't their first go-around with the new-look Clippers.

They lost to the Clippers twice in the preseason, and although those games didn't matter, the Lakers had a wake-up call. They realized that the battle for supremacy in Los Angeles was not going to be handed to them on a silver platter this year.

The Lakers went in prepared against a team that was sick of being called "little brother," but despite a valiant effort by Kobe Bryant, they fell by eight points, 102-94. 

Chris Paul dominated, and Laker fans wondered throughout the whole game what could have been if David Stern hadn't vetoed the trade that had originally sent Paul to the Lakers.

And although beating the Lakers in a regular-season game was a huge momentum booster for the Clippers, it really doesn't say much about who's the best team in Los Angeles. 

People tend to forget that this was the fourth game in five nights for a fatigued Lakers squad that's already one of the oldest in the league. 

You don't think this team is tired?

They lead the league in games played, and they haven't had a situation this season where they've had consecutive days off. They've been literally playing almost every day since Christmas. This means that there is less practice time for a squad featuring plenty of new faces. 

It also means that they're a little burnt out. Kobe may be dropping 40 every night, but one can't assume it's not taking a toll on his body. 

Also, with Steve Blake hurt, the Lakers were forced to use Darius Morris at point guard for half the game. Despite his strong effort, it was only his third career NBA game, and he had to go up against the best point guard in the game.

That was a bit of a mismatch. 

Let's not take anything away from the Clippers' effort. They're obviously a great team, and they have a shot to do some damage this year in the Western Conference. That being said, let's not crown them the kings of LA, either.

This was just one game—a game where the Lakers might have just been gassed playing their fifth game in seven nights.

Proof that the Lakers tend to tire out is exemplified in a glaring stat: The Lakers are 5-8-1 this season in fourth quarters. In their last games, they are 2-7 in fourth quarters. This means that they tire out during the end of games. 

It also illustrates how fatigued this ball club after incessantly playing in the last three weeks. 

On the other hand, the Clippers have played just nine games all season. They have played six of those nine at home and had two days off in preparation for the Lakers.

They're also a younger team with more exuberance, so it's only natural that they were going to be the fresher team.

The only lesson learned from this game was a confirmation of an older one: that the Clippers are for real.

The regular season is a long grind filled with different types of adversity like road trips, back-to-back-to-backs and injuries. The Clippers haven't dealt with any of this yet. 

The difference is that the Lakers have, and it's drained them. 

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