The Los Angeles Lakers won 130-125 over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday AEDT after LeBron James scored 35 points and 11 rebounds and Austin Reaves scored seven of his 15 points in overtime.

The short-handed Lakers upset their local rivals for the first time since July 2020 in the Florida bubble with 27 points and 10 rebounds from D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis. Since Christmas 2016, the 17-time NBA champion Lakers had lost 11 straight at their shared arena to the Clippers.

Kawhi Leonard scored 38 points in the Clippers’ second loss of the season with James Harden watching in street clothes on the sidelines. Before fouling out 30 seconds into overtime, Paul George scored 20 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, including eight in the final minute.

In his 21st NBA season, James, the league’s oldest player, used all his skills against the Clippers.

as dropping a sneaker, the 38-year-old finished the play with a dunk as the Clippers defenders forgot to guard him.

This trιck works well. Take off your shoes, sprint, and make a right-handed jam, according to former Warriors GM Bob Myers on ESPN commentary.

The Lakers rallied from a 19-point deficit before losing an eight-point lead in the final 90 seconds of regulation with just eight players due to five major injuries.

George tied it with three free throws with 17 seconds left after making six three-pointers. Russell missed a buzzer shot.

Reaves stole the ball from Leonard, drove the floor, and threw an alley-oop to James for a one-handed slam with 2:12 left to give the Lakers a five-point lead in overtime

After Leonard made his fifth three-pointer, Reaves scored two free throws with 48 seconds left and Russell Westbrook missed a tying three-pointer before Christian Wood knocked down a devastating putback dunk for the Lakers with nine seconds left.

Westbrook had 24 points against his former team.

The Clippers acquired Tucker and Harden earlier in the day in a multi-player transaction with Philadelphia. Tucker played 21 scoreless minutes in his Clippers debut.

Harden will get in shape in the four days before the Clippers’ next game, but the organization is confidence in the 2018 MVP and Los Angeles native’s ability to play alongside its three Southern California-born superstars.

“It’s going to take a lot of sacrifice, whether it’s shots or minutes,” explained coach Tyronn Lue. “They’ll do it.”

Before starting forward Taurean Prince reported knee soreness in warm-ups, the Lakers’ bench was weak with Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and youngster Jalen Hood-Schifino injured. After missing Monday’s game with an eye ailment, Hachimura joined the NBA’s concussion protocol.

Leonard nailed seven of eight shots and four three-pointers in the first quarter for a career-high 18 points. Lakers chipped away over two quarters and grabbed the lead late in the third.

Despite his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter, George had a great stretch.