The only local ‘derby’ in the Western Conference, Lakers vs Clippers, will play its first meeting of the 2026-27 NBA season very soon, after both sides resolved their opening games with authority. A new chance to see how Luka Doncic’s side keeps firing and whether Darius Garland can take charge of the Clippers after his excellent start to the campaign.
Date and time of Lakers vs Clippers
Date: 23 October 2026, early hours of the 24th British time.
Time: These are the start times of Heat vs Timberwolves by time zone.
| Spain (mainland), France and Italy | 04:00 |
| Dominican Republic, USA (Boston, New York and Miami), Puerto Rico and Venezuela | 22:00 |
| Mexico (central), USA (Texas and Chicago), El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua | 21:00 |
| Mexico (Pacific) and USA (Los Angeles) | 19:00 |
| Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay | 23:00 |
| Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama | 22:00 |
Venue: crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, California)
Lakers vs Clippers starting lineups
The Lakers arrive with a doubt over Jake LaRavia, while the Clippers have the confirmed absences of Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram, Jordan Miller and Max Strus.
| LAKERS | CLIPPERS |
| Luka Doncic | Darius Garland |
| Austin Reaves | Khris Dunn |
| Mathisse Thybulle | Derrick Jones Jr. |
| Ziaire Williams | Rui Hachimura |
| Walker Kessler | Isaiah Jackson |
Lakers vs Clippers: best bet
On paper the gold and purple are the better side, but that very role as favourites could make things awkward for them. Either way, we believe the Slovenian genius’s squad will end up prevailing.
Lakers latest: injuries and form
With the squad almost fully fit bar the doubt over Jake LaRavia, the Lakers want to keep strengthening their home record against their local rivals, setting the tone for what they hope will be a season among the elite of the Western Conference.
From the opening duel against the Warriors positive conclusions were drawn, though perhaps premature given the weak opposition. Either way, Luka Doncic looked in form and delighted to have a ‘giant’ like Walker Kessler alongside him, who literally went wild with a 12-of-12 from the field, including 10 dunks.
After years playing both ways -LeBron James demanded as much– these Lakers look unleashed and with justified enthusiasm, as they have made a major change to the roster and Luka himself said before the season began that they were starting the road towards a ring.
Player to watch: Luka Doncic
It has to be his year. He is the undisputed leader of the Lakers and it is his job to set the example in everything and, of course, to be the player who breaks games with a talent almost no other mortal possesses. On the opening night he had 28 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals in 30 minutes. He puts up numbers for fun.
Clippers latest: injuries and form
The Clippers also started by winning against a soft opponent in the Sacramento Kings (once again), but their present is marked by the numerous absences of key pieces, as Brandon Ingram, Bradley Beal and Max Strus will still take time to appear on the court.
Even so, one can only take a positive reading from the opener, one in which Darius Garland was completely at ease from start to finish; so much so that he scored 30 points in 32 minutes to stand out as the best player on the night.
The truth is that despite the departure of Kawhi Leonard and the enormous penalty over the ‘Aspiration case’, having Tyronn Lue on the bench is a lifeline for both experience and competitiveness. A team looking to rebuild on the back of tough defence clings to that. They held the Kings to 96 points.
Player to watch: Darius Garland
Once again he is the Clippers’ main man on the court, which is undoubtedly a huge opportunity to build status in an NBA that had rather turned its back on him in his later years with the Cavaliers. His duel with Luka should be among the best of the night.
Lakers vs Clippers: head-to-head history
These eternal rivals have met 247 times in the regular season and, to nobody’s surprise, the gold and purple have the clear edge at 158 to 89. Still, we should not overlook that in the 21st century things have evened out considerably, to the point that the last 10 head-to-heads stand at 6-4 in the Lakers’ favour.
Predictions for Lakers vs Clippers
Over 28.5 points Luka Doncic. The Slovenian should keep taking steps in what looks set to be a huge campaign within a career that has no shortage of milestones. He should score plenty of points.
Los Angeles Lakers handicap -8.5. The Clippers are fighters, but in talent and depth they should not be a match for a Lakers side arriving full of confidence.
Over 228.5 total points. Although both sides defended really well on the opening night, we are backing that this early-hours game will be decided by attacking play.
Where to watch Lakers vs Clippers
The game between Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers can be watched in Spain through a NBA League Pass subscription and Amazon Prime.