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The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers rekindle the Battle for L.A. on Friday night at 10 p.m. ET at STAPLES Center. This game was initially supposed to be televised on ESPN, but the game was flexed out in favor of the rematch between the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns, which is also at 10 p.m. ET.
The big news from Thursday was the return of LeBron James, who was in health and safety protocols. James underwent “rigorous” Covid-19 testing and got tested 8 times in order to clear protocols within 48 hours. He’s been cleared to return to the lineup for Friday’s game vs. the Clips. The bad news is Anthony Davis (thumb) is questionable to play. Chances are AD will give it a go, but he’s popping up on the injury report almost every game.
As for the Clippers, they’ve lost three games in a row and have dropped to .500 at 11-11 on the season. The past two losses have been particularly bad, falling to the Pelicans and Kings while allowing at least 123 points in each contest. The Clippers won’t have F Nicolas Batum in this game since he was placed into health and safety protocols as well.