Reaves Scores 28 As Lakers Beat Clippers, 125–117

Austin Reaves scored 28 points and handed out nine assists as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Los Angeles Clippers 125-117 at Crypto.com Arena on Friday, October 23, 2026. Walker Kessler added 22 points, eight rebounds and six blocks, and the Lakers turned a halftime tie into a 13-point lead with a 39-point third quarter.

Luka Dončić finished with 23 points and seven assists, while Darius Garland led the Clippers with 26 points. Brook Lopez scored 22 off the Clippers’ bench on eight-of-nine shooting. Both teams repeatedly gave the ball away: the Clippers finished with 26 total turnovers and the Lakers with 21.

Reaves Leads The Third-Quarter Separation

Four regulation quarters. Running scores identify the Clippers first and Lakers second.

The Clippers led 31-27 after the first quarter and stretched the advantage to 44-33 early in the second. Reaves made three free throws, Kessler scored on a tip dunk and Quentin Grimes hit a 3-pointer to bring the Lakers back within three. The lead changed hands several times before Dončić completed a three-point play with 5.6 seconds left in the half to tie it 64-64.

The Lakers took control midway through the third. After a Derrick Jones Jr. 3-pointer cut their lead to 77-76, Matisse Thybulle answered from deep at 6:56. Reaves then made four consecutive Lakers baskets: three inside the arc and a 26-foot 3-pointer at 4:19. The 12-0 run made it 89-76.

The Clippers scored again on a Garland free throw before Kessler’s reverse layup pushed the margin to 91-77. Lopez supplied seven more points during the quarter, but the Lakers continued scoring and reached the fourth ahead 103-90. Reaves had scored 13 points in the third, following 13 in the first half.

Garland’s Push Brings The Clippers Within Six

Sandro Mamukelashvili’s reverse layup, assisted by Reaves, gave the Lakers a 119-105 lead with 5:01 remaining. Garland made two free throws, Jones scored on a dunk, and Garland added another free throw and a 3-pointer. That stretch reduced the Clippers’ deficit to 119-113 with 3:21 left.

Kessler made both free throws at 2:22, and Reaves scored on a driving floating bank shot with 1:29 remaining to make it 123-113. Garland and Kris Dunn answered inside, bringing the Clippers within six at 53.4 seconds. Grimes made two free throws at 40.9 seconds to complete the scoring.

Every scoring action with 6:00 or less remaining in the fourth quarter. Running score columns identify the Clippers and Lakers. The full game’s scoring progression is available in the official play-by-play.

Redick Wants Simpler Passes; Lue Points To Turnovers And Help

Lakers coach JJ Redick said the turnovers remained a problem despite the productive offense. In his postgame availability released by Lakers Nation, he criticized execution against a soft trap after the team had worked on it. Asked about Dončić and Reaves balancing playmaking with new personnel, he stressed taking the available outlet: “Just make the pass in front of you.”

Redick described familiarity with teammates’ locations and options against extra defenders as work still developing. He credited Kessler’s third-quarter energy and defensive disruption, including making catches difficult, challenging shots, pursuing second efforts and running. He also praised cross-matching that kept Lopez from repeatedly drawing the center into pick-and-pop coverage.

Redick praised Thybulle and Ziaire Williams for their defensive activity and broader contributions, but qualified that assessment: some Garland layups came from coverage errors and missing help near the basket. Asked about different bench combinations, he said the matchup work could not be settled after only two games.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue identified ball security immediately in his postgame availability released by HoopJab. Asked about the turnovers and the Lakers’ defensive influence, he praised the effort but criticized the decisions. “You can’t play against a good team and turn over 26 times and expect to win the game,” Lue said.

Lue connected the Clippers’ slower third-quarter pace to their inability to get stops: allowing 39 points meant repeatedly taking the ball out of the net. On Kessler’s rolls, he criticized off-ball help and a failure to trust the planned paint coverage. He resisted treating that solely as unfamiliarity, saying the team drills and discusses those responsibilities.

Asked about Reaves’s efficiency while Dončić committed 11 turnovers, Lue said sending extra defenders toward Dončić created space and one-on-one opportunities for Reaves. He pointed to Reaves’s range of scoring options. Lue was unsure about a specific closeout detail and returned to the need for better help awareness and keeping the ball out of the paint.

Kessler Credits The Playmakers, Dončić Keeps The Qualification

Asked about fitting offensively with Dončić and Reaves in his Lakers Nation postgame availability, Kessler credited their skill: “you can put anybody in with them and they’ll figure it out.” He emphasized Reaves’s passing alongside his scoring and described the second-half response as collective work.

Kessler also credited the wings’ aggression and teammates following deflections to loose balls. He said unselfish play was helping his rhythm return, while stressing the need to remain humble and keep competing over a long season. That was his assessment of his play, rather than a new medical update.

“I think it started with our defense,” Dončić said when asked about the third-quarter separation in his Lakers Nation postgame availability. He credited forcing turnovers and running. He praised Kessler as an outlet when defenses sent two players toward him, but said their transition passing connection still needed work on timing and location.

Dončić also said there was substantial defensive improvement left and criticized his own performance despite the win: “my game was terrible.” The official box charged him with 11 turnovers and Reaves with six. His assessment included his own mistakes and the continuing need to develop familiarity.

In his HoopJab postgame availability, Clippers forward Rui Hachimura put responsibility for careless turnovers on the whole team. He called for better spacing and players being in the right locations for one another, with film and practice needed to address it.

Lakers Shoot 58.2 Percent; Clippers Get 46 Bench Points

Reaves made 10 of 13 shots, including three of five 3-pointers, and five of six free throws. Kessler made 10 of 14 field-goal attempts. The Lakers shot 46-for-79 overall, or 58.2 percent, while the Clippers went 41-for-83, or 49.4 percent.

The Clippers made 16 of 37 3-pointers and the Lakers made 14 of 32. Both teams made 19 of 25 free throws. The Lakers scored 58 points in the paint to the Clippers’ 48 and blocked nine shots, six credited to Kessler. Each team recorded 13 steals.

Lopez’s 22 points led a 46-point Clippers bench contribution. Keaton Wagler scored 13, Gradey Dick six and Kobe Sanders five. Grimes led the Lakers’ reserves with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Mamukelashvili added seven points and five rebounds. The Lakers’ bench supplied 25 points.

The turnover totals include one team-only turnover for the Clippers. Their individual player rows sum to 25, while the Lakers’ player rows account for all 21 of their turnovers. The Lakers scored 31 points from turnovers, and the Clippers scored 29. Player rebounds and rebounds credited to the team are kept separate in the comparison below.

Player rebounds and team rebounds are separate. The Clippers’ 26 total turnovers comprise 25 player turnovers and one team turnover; the Lakers had 21 player turnovers and no team-only turnovers. Bench scoring includes players who entered as reserves.

The Starting Groups And The Clippers’ Reserve Mix

The Lakers started Dončić, Thybulle, Williams, Reaves and Kessler. That group shared 12:44.6 across the game, making 14 of 23 field-goal attempts while opposing Clippers groups made nine of 20. The Clippers’ starting five of Dunn, Jones, Hachimura, Garland and Isaiah Jackson shared 20:42.1, shooting 17-for-33 while opposing groups went 19-for-33.

Both starting groups opened the third quarter and stayed together until the first substitution at 6:35, a shared stretch of 5:25. The Lakers made seven of 10 field goals and two of four 3-pointers in that segment. The Clippers made four of seven field goals, including three of five from behind the arc. Those field-goal comparisons sit within the full 39-26 quarter; they do not include a separate unit free-throw or total-points figure.

The Clippers’ group of Lopez, Dunn, Dick, Sanders and Wagler shared 10:45.8, making 12 of 20 shots while opponents made seven of 16. Dunn was a starter alongside four reserves in that combination. The group’s measured field goals describe its shared minutes, rather than the individual players’ full-game totals.

Dončić, Grimes, Williams, Reaves and Kessler played together from 3:43 until 40.9 seconds remained in the fourth. Thybulle then replaced Kessler, and that resulting five closed the game. The Clippers finished with Garland, Wagler, Jones, Hachimura and Jackson. These were observed substitutions, rather than an announced plan for future games.

The five most-used actual groups for each team, ordered by shared court time within each team. Official chronological play-by-play establishes each quarter’s five starters and every substitution, measuring 48:00 per club at 0.01-second precision. All 18 participating players match rounded official minutes. FG and 3PT are made/attempted during that exact group’s minutes, for and against; 3PT is included in FG. Repeated appearances are combined across quarters and opposing groups. All eight field goals sharing substitution clocks retain consistent before/after order in both source-list and action-number records. Free-throw allocation at substitution clocks conflicts with 10 official individual plus/minus values, so unit free throws, total points and net scoring are omitted. Individual box plus/minus is not used to manufacture unit totals. This one-game sample does not rank enduring unit ability.

Complete player statistics and availability statuses

Open both teams’ full player box scores and unused listings

LAC Complete Player Box Score

Player	Role	MIN	FG	FG%	3PT	3PT%	FT	FT%	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS	+/−
Derrick Jones Jr.	Starter F	34:37	6/13	46.2	3/8	37.5	1/2	50.0	3	1	4	1	2	0	0	3	16	-13
Rui Hachimura	Starter F	33:16	5/14	35.7	3/6	50.0	3/4	75.0	1	5	6	1	2	0	2	1	16	-17
Isaiah Jackson	Starter C	27:50	3/5	60.0	0/0	No attempts	0/0	No attempts	3	3	6	3	3	1	3	4	6	-7
Kris Dunn	Starter G	33:33	3/6	50.0	1/3	33.3	0/0	No attempts	0	5	5	5	2	0	2	4	7	-4
Darius Garland	Starter G	36:34	9/19	47.4	4/10	40.0	4/5	80.0	0	0	0	6	1	0	9	2	26	-16
Kobe Sanders	Reserve	19:06	2/4	50.0	1/3	33.3	0/0	No attempts	0	3	3	5	1	0	2	1	5	10
Keaton Wagler	Reserve	23:37	2/8	25.0	2/5	40.0	7/9	77.8	0	3	3	3	1	0	4	3	13	-4
Brook Lopez	Reserve	19:50	8/9	88.9	2/2	100.0	4/5	80.0	3	1	4	0	0	3	2	2	22	1
Gradey Dick	Reserve	11:37	3/5	60.0	0/0	No attempts	0/0	No attempts	1	3	4	0	1	0	1	1	6	10

All nine Clippers participants. Starter labels identify the initial five; reserves entered off the bench. Minutes are official rounded box times. No attempts means no shots were taken in that category, rather than a zero shooting percentage. Unused players are listed separately below.

LAL Complete Player Box Score

Player	Role	MIN	FG	FG%	3PT	3PT%	FT	FT%	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS	+/−
Matisse Thybulle	Starter F	23:55	5/8	62.5	3/6	50.0	0/0	No attempts	0	1	1	2	2	1	0	2	13	13
Ziaire Williams	Starter F	30:42	5/7	71.4	1/3	33.3	3/3	100.0	2	3	5	0	2	1	0	3	14	9
Walker Kessler	Starter C	34:54	10/14	71.4	0/0	No attempts	2/5	40.0	4	4	8	3	3	6	1	2	22	18
Austin Reaves	Starter G	38:28	10/13	76.9	3/5	60.0	5/6	83.3	0	2	2	9	2	0	6	4	28	14
Luka Dončić	Starter G	37:05	8/21	38.1	2/8	25.0	5/7	71.4	0	6	6	7	0	1	11	2	23	10
Quentin Grimes	Reserve	30:34	3/6	50.0	3/5	60.0	4/4	100.0	1	7	8	4	1	0	2	2	13	2
Sandro Mamukelashvili	Reserve	23:41	3/4	75.0	1/2	50.0	0/0	No attempts	0	5	5	2	0	0	0	4	7	-8
Kevon Looney	Reserve	4:33	0/0	No attempts	0/0	No attempts	0/0	No attempts	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	-9
Collin Sexton	Reserve	16:09	2/6	33.3	1/3	33.3	0/0	No attempts	0	1	1	2	3	0	1	2	5	-9

All nine Lakers participants. Starter labels identify the initial five; reserves entered off the bench. Minutes are official rounded box times. No attempts means no shots were taken in that category, rather than a zero shooting percentage. Unused players are listed separately below.

Unused And Inactive Players

Team	Player	Official status
LAC	Bradley Beal	Inactive – Injury/Illness
LAC	Cam Christie	DNP – Coach's Decision
LAC	Brandon Ingram	Inactive – Injury/Illness
LAC	Nick Martinelli	DNP – Coach's Decision
LAC	Baba Miller	DNP – Coach's Decision
LAC	Jordan Miller	Inactive – Injury/Illness
LAC	Yanic Konan Niederhäuser	Inactive – Injury/Illness
LAC	Jalen Pickett	DNP – Coach's Decision
LAC	Max Strus	Inactive – Injury/Illness
LAL	Cameron Carr	Inactive – Injury/Illness
LAL	Jaden Hardy	DNP – Coach's Decision
LAL	Bronny James	DNP – Coach's Decision
LAL	Arthur Kaluma	DNP – Coach's Decision
LAL	Jake LaRavia	Inactive – Injury/Illness
LAL	Chris Mañon	Inactive – Coach's Decision
LAL	AK Okereke	DNP – Coach's Decision
LAL	Adou Thiero	Inactive – Injury/Illness
LAL	Jarred Vanderbilt	DNP – Coach's Decision

Exact official game-day designations for all 18 nonparticipants. DNP: did not play. Inactive injury/illness labels do not establish a diagnosis or future availability.

MIN: minutes; FG: field goals made/attempted; FG%: field-goal percentage; 3PT and FT: three-pointers and free throws made/attempted; OREB/DREB/REB: offensive, defensive and total player rebounds; AST: assists; STL: steals; BLK: blocks; TO: player turnovers; PF: personal fouls; PTS: points. Shooting-percentage columns show percentages. Individual +/− is the team’s scoring difference during that player’s minutes and is separate from the five-player group measures above.

What comes next

The Lakers visit the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on Sunday, October 25, at 3 p.m. MDT. The Clippers visit the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center later that day, at 5 p.m. MDT.

Official video and game records

Watch the NBA’s Lakers–Clippers video recap. The official box score and complete play-by-play provide the original game records. This video link opens the original official release.

The postgame links above open the original released coach and player media availabilities. No current individual Austin Reaves postgame interview was verified for this report.