The Clippers have chased the Lakers since before they moved to Los Angeles, and Wednesday's rematch comes at a weak moment: 1-2, two straight losses and five players out. History offers one road back from a hole like this, and the cap sheet has closed most of it.
The rivalry with the Lakers started before the Clippers moved to Los Angeles.
On Oct. 27, 1978, in the franchise's first season as the San Diego Clippers, they lost 101-113 at the Lakers. Donald Sterling moved the team to Los Angeles in 1984 without league approval, and on this date that year the first LA team won 103-94 at Utah on the way to a 31–51 finish under Jim Lynam. The Clippers spent years sharing a downtown building with the Lakers before moving to Intuit Dome. They have still never played in the Finals.
Wednesday's game asks the old question at a bad time.
The Clippers are 1-2, ninth in the conference, and lost 117-125 at the Lakers on Oct. 23. The Lakers are 3-0 with a 13.5 net rating against the Clippers' 3.2. Luka Doncic is averaging 34.3 points and 8.0 assists, and Austin Reaves 26.7 points. The Clippers' one scheduling edge is real: they get two days of rest, while the Lakers are on a back-to-back without Adou Thiero.
The way the franchise rebuilt in the late 1980s isn't available now.
After the 12–70 finish in 1987, Elgin Baylor took over as general manager. A 1989 trade for Ron Harper, plus draftees Ken Norman, Danny Manning, Charles Smith and Loy Vaught, made the Clippers a playoff contender into the early 1990s. This front office can't follow that plan. The 2029 and 2030 firsts are forfeited, the 2027 and 2028 firsts are swaps, and basketball operations are still run on an interim basis by Trent Redden. Payroll sits under the tax line, but there are few trade assets to use.
Injuries are shaping this roster the way they shaped the Clipper Triangle years.
In the 1980s, injuries to Derek Smith, Norm Nixon and Marques Johnson defined an era. Today Ingram, Beal, Strus and Konan Niederhauser carry estimated returns of Nov. 8, and Jordan Miller's is March 2. In the meantime, Darius Garland is averaging 24.0 points and 7.0 assists. Brook Lopez, 38, is scoring 18.0 points in 23.2 minutes, and Keaton Wagler, a 19-year-old rookie, is adding 13.0. That group can compete, but it is not built to beat a 3-0 team.
When do the Clippers play the Lakers again?
The Clippers host the Lakers on Wednesday, Oct. 28. They lost the first meeting this season 117-125 on Oct. 23.
Have the Clippers ever reached the NBA Finals?
No. The franchise, which started as the Buffalo Braves in 1970, has never reached the Finals, and its first conference finals came in 2021.
