Luka Doncic and Lakers hold off Clippers as Kawhi Leonard exits late

For just the 11th time in 55 games this season, the Lakers had Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves sharing the court together.

They are the core of the Lakers (34-21), the engines that make this team go, but health issues have prevented them from playing together for far too much. In their first game since the All-Star break, Doncic, Reaves and James carried the Lakers to a 125-122 win over the Clippers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic had 38 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and some trash-talking with Clippers’ defensive Kris Dunn.

Reaves did his part with 29 points on an efficient nine-for-15 shooting. He also had six rebounds and a key defensive play late in the game.

And James had 13 points and 11 assists, his fifth straight game with 10 or more assists. He also was playing with a sore left knee and a migraine.

They got helpfrom Marcus Smart, who scored all seven of his points of the fourth quarter and played his typical tough defense, and Deandre Ayton, who had 13 points, seven rebounds and a lob from James that he threw down for a dunk over Clippers center Brook Lopez late in the fourth quarter.

But this game was all about Doncic, Reaves and James, who are trying to build some chemistry this late in the season.

“I think it’s good. I hear this question every day. So, I always answer the same,” Doncic said. “You know, obviously we didn’t play a lot together, but chemistry is going to grow and grow.”

The Clippers kept chipping away at the Lakers’ lead late in the game despite Kawhi Leonard leaving with 5:10 left because of left ankle soreness.

Though Leonard departed with 31 points on 11-for-19 shooting, four-for-six on three-pointers and five-for-five on his free throws, the Clippers didn’t back down.

But in what Lakers coach JJ Redick called the play of the game with 1:49 left and the Lakers leading 118-115, Reaves drew a charge on Bennedict Mathurin. It was Mathurin’s sixth foul and it sent him to the bench with 26 points.

“Marcus did a good job. He stabbed at the ball. I think Mathurin kind of got off balance and I saw an opportunity to make a winning play,” Reaves said. “I actually don’t mind taking charges because I can’t jump and block a shot, so my only chance is to take a charge”

Still, the Lakers didn’t escape until Doncic made two free throws with 21.2 seconds left to give the Lakers a five-point lead that barely stood.

With a 125-122 lead and the ball in the closing seconds, James threw a dangerous cross-court pass intended for Doncic that Nicolas Batum stole. But Batum missed a potential tying three-pointer, and James got the rebound to secure the win.

James then explained how his knee was feeling after practice Thursday.

“I mean, it happened at practice yesterday during our scrimmage,” James said. “I went up for a dunk, came down pretty good, but a couple minutes into the scrimmage after that, it started getting a little sore, started getting a little tight and yeah, that’s what happened.”

James still played 33 minutes. His time on the court allowed James, Doncic and Reaves to develop some much-needed chemistry.

“I mean, every game, every second, every minute that we’re on the floor together, it helps,” James said. “Like I said, when was that, All-Star weekend? We don’t know what we’re going to be until we get fully healthy and tonight was one of the first games where JJ and the coaching staff can look down and know everybody was available. So, we just got to keep pushing. We got to keep pushing. We got a tough team coming in on Sunday (against the Celtics). Obviously, a lifetime NBA rivalry, so we got to be ready for them. They’re playing great basketball, too.”

Doncic played just five minutes for Team World in the All-Star game Sunday and had missed the previous four games before the break with his hamstring issue.

But he played 37:53 against the Clippers.

“It wasn’t bad,” Reaves said about his hamstring. “I got treatment after the game. But I felt good.”

Late in the fourth quarter, after Doncic scored on Dunn and was fouled by the Clippers guard, Doncic glared.

“Um, obviously we have a history before,” Doncic said of Dunn. “So, I think it was another part of the game. So, I think maybe because of that.”

Doncic was asked how he stays focused when players talk trash to him.

“Just, I always talk back,” Doncic said. “Just trying to score best and win the game.”