The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 135-118 on Tuesday night for the sixth straight time thanks to 43 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds from Luka Doncic and 25 points from LeBron James.

The Lakers and the Nuggets had some intense playoff battles this decade. First, the Lakers beat them in the bubble on their way to their NBA championship. Then the Nuggets beat them in back-to-back seasons, including in 2023 when they won it all.

The Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up the three seed in the Western Conference with a win over the Houston Rockets who already had the second seed secured.

The Los Angeles Lakers have dealt with injuries to LeBron James and Luka Doncic to start the season, but it hasn’t slowed them down much. With Austin Reaves playing some of his best basketball and surprise contributions from players such as Jake LaRavia ...

-The Nuggets grab a road win against the Timberwolves. Denver rode a 68-52 second half to this comeback victory. This marks their seventh-straight victory, despite missing two starters in this game. Nikola Jokić had yet another triple-double in that victory.

While no NBA team—and certainly not one with a legacy as rich as the Los Angeles Lakers'—hangs a banner for a 2-1 start, the Purple and Gold should be generally pleased with how they've opened the new campaign.