The Los Angeles Times reports: Wednesday night at the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James scored 19 of his 34 points in a spectacular fourth quarter, guiding the team over a drаmаtic 116-112 comeback from a 21-point deficit against the Los Angeles Clippers.

With five seconds remaining, Kawhi Leonard failed to make a 12-foot free throw, and LeBron James completed a startling triumph for the Lakers with a long pass to Cam Reddish that landed on a dunk. The Lakers prevailed in their final regular-season contest as co-tenants of their downtown arena.

The 39-year-old James was the driving force as he outscored the Clippers 19-16 in the fourth quarter on five of his season-high seven three-pointers. In the fourth quarter, he assisted or scored on eleven of the thirteen baskets made by the Lakers.

James Harden contributed 23 points and nine assists and Leonard tallied 26 for the Clippers, who have not won consecutive games since December 23. Ivica Zubac, the Clippers’ starting center, was unwell and missed his second consecutive game with an injured left knee. Neither was All-Star Paul George present.

In the first minute of the fourth quarter, the Clippers held a 98-77 lead. However, James steered a 29-8 run in just 7:34. With four minutes remaining, free throws by Anthony Davis tied the game at 106-106, and moments later, James assisted Rui Hachimura on a game-winning three-pointer.

With 1:12 remaining, D’Angelo Russell’s three-pointer gave the Lakers a 114-108 lead. However, Harden and Leonard converted on drives to the basket, and James missed two attempts for the Lakers. James, to the amusement of the thousands of Lakers supporters in attendance at a “road” game, retrieved the game-winning basket after Leonard’s final attempt was erred.

This season, the Lakers defeated the Clippers three times in four games to claim the season series victory, their first such triumph since 2011-12.

For the Lakers, Davis tallied 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, whereas Russell and Hachimura each contributed 18.

The Staples Center was occupied by the Clippers, Lakers, and Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League when it was inaugurated in 1999. During the subsequent quarter-century, the NBA franchises resided in the same location, where they engaged in a rivalry referred to as the Hallway Series. These contests were typically played four times yearly and were separated by approximately 100 feet in the corridor.

The era will come to an end this autumn when the Clippers relocate to Intuit Dome, an opulent new arena in Inglewood owned by Steve Ballmer. Ballmer swiftly secured a separate arena for the Clippers so they could emerge from the shadow cast by the Lakers’ seventeen NBA titles and the banners adorning the arena walls. Ballmer’s determination was crucial to the Clippers’ triumph over the Lakers.

The Lakers continue to hold the absolute advantage in Los Angeles, but the Clippers have made strides: In ten of the last eleven seasons, they have concluded with a superior record than the Lakers. Their only failure came in 2020, when the Lakers won their seventeenth championship.

A semifinal series between the teams is always a possibility, but it has never occurred.

Reddish made his 14-game return after suffering a sprained right ankle.

The Lakers labored in the first half, missing 15 of their first 18 3-point attempts and attempting only two free throws. In contrast, the Clippers opened up a 17-point lead shortly after halftime. Harden scorched the Lakers for 18 points in the first half, reestablishing himself conspicuously as a shooter in the absence of one of his high-scoring teammates due to ιnjury.