Lakers Fall to Clippers at NBA Summer League Without Injured Talen Horton-Tucker

In the first matchup of what could be the NBA's most star-studded rivalry next season, the Los Angeles Clippers topped the Los Angeles Lakers 93-87 in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The participants on the court at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday were very different than the ones who will go head-to-head when the games really count.

Mfiondu Kabengele had a terrific pro debut with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the win. The Florida State product, who was drafted No. 27 overall, showed some range with his jumper in the first quarter:

Kabengele could end up being a backup for Paul George and Maurice Harkless to start the season. His minutes are going to be limited because of how deep the roster is, but being able to make an occasional basket from behind the arc will make it easy for head coach Doc Rivers to get him a few minutes during games.

Another Clippers rookie who shined in his first game was Amir Coffey. The rookie from Minnesota finished with 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

Coffey went undrafted before getting a two-way deal with the Clippers. He struggled with his shot as a junior last season but made 36.8 percent of his three-point attempts in 2017-18. If the 22-year-old can bring that skill set with him when transitioning to the NBA G League, he could play himself into a role off the bench at some point.

The Lakers were able to put up a good fight despite getting off to a terrible start. They were trailing 32-15 after the first quarter and fell behind by as many as 22 points in the second quarter. Once their offense came alive, they were able to tie the score at 65 in the final minute of the third.

Playing without Talen Horton-Tucker, who was ruled out for the entire summer league schedule because of a stress reaction in his right foot, the Lakers found contributions from multiple outlets.

Joe Young and Devontae Cacok tied for the team lead with 17 points. Cacok provided one of the game's highlights during the second quarter with this alley-oop finish from Jordan Howard:

Based on plus-minus, Aric Holman was the Lakers' best player with a plus-10 in 21 minutes. He scored six points, made two of the team's six three-pointers, grabbed eight rebounds and had two steals.

For two teams in win-now mode, the summer league is going to be a perfect opportunity for the Clippers and Lakers to fill out their G League squads this fall. A number of intriguing options already stand out for both clubs, but the Clippers grabbed the early bragging rights thanks to their impressive win.