LA Clippers vs. LA Lakers: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and Predictions

Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers got the best of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night with a score of 114-95.

It does not seem like this is the same Lakers team we are accustomed to, but it is just preseason.  People still consider the Clippers the “JV” squad in Los Angeles, but they are moving closer to being on par with the Lakers. 

The second game for both teams this preseason will be: 

Where: STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, CA

When: Wednesday, December 21, 10:30 p.m. ET

Watch: KCAL

Listen: ESPN Radio

Live Stream: firstrowsports 

Betting Line: Clippers -2.5, according to USA Today.

Injuries:

Clippers

No Recent Injuries

Lakers

Kobe Bryant, G Gerald Green, Probable 

What They’re Saying

Arash Markazi of ESPNLA and Scott Howard Cooper of NBA.com 

Clippers Player to Watch: Chauncey Billups

It’s easy to say that Paul or Griffin should be players to watch for, so let’s look at Chauncey Billups. The veteran guard scored 23 points Monday on 5-8 shooting.

The Clippers did not have a very crowded backcourt in terms of depth and experience before Billups came on board but now they’re stacked. Not only do they have Billups but they also have Mo Williams.

Billups is the guy that people tend to forget about, along with Caron Butler. With all the attention Griffin gets and how often Paul can locate Billups on the perimeter, we may be looking at a fantastic season for the 14-year NBA veteran.

Lakers Player to Watch: Metta World Peace

When Metta World Peace was on the floor on Monday, the Lakers were at -11. We know what we’re going to get out of Bryant, Gasol and Andrew Bynum, but the Lakers need to find some formidable shooters from the perimeter.

World Peace went 0-8 from the floor including 0-5 from beyond the arc for a total of three points. His minutes (24 on Monday) will decrease significantly if he continues to struggle to shoot the rock this season.

Key Matchup: Chris Paul vs. Lakers' defense

Mike Brown is supposed to help in terms of half court defense this year. It didn’t look great on Monday night, partly because of how well Paul can penetrate the defense and find open shooters. This has been an area of concern for the Lakers in recent history. 

It will be interesting to see how well Brown and the Lakers adjust to what happened when Paul went for 17 points and nine assists.

Prediction: Clippers 107, Lakers 101

Winning in the preseason doesn’t mean a whole lot, but showing improvement and adjustments is very important. I think we will see a better Lakers team on Wednesday.

Update: Kobe officially day-to-day.