LA Lakers vs. LA Clippers

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The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers don't just share the same city, they share the same building to play their home games in. The Lakers have long been considered the "big brother" in this rivalry, but the Clippers have had plenty of periods of dominance as well. The media has dubbed this rivalry as the "Hallway Series," since a hallway separates the two home locker rooms of these bitter rivals. The Lakers have the much more storied franchise, but there are still plenty of Clippers fans around the Los Angeles area. Remarkably, these two rivals have never met in the NBA Playoffs, but they have had plenty of memorable regular-season games throughout the years. From the mid 1980's until about 2013, the Lakers absolutely dominated this rivalry, but the roles have been reversed since the start of the 2014-15 NBA season. Both teams should have the power to acquire some big-name free agents in the near future, which should take this rivalry to new heights in 2019 and beyond.

History of Lakers and Clippers Rivalry

The Lakers and Clippers have been playing games against each other since they each became franchises, but that isn't what this rivalry is about. The first meeting between the two Los Angeles teams took place in 1984, and the Lakers beat their intra-city rival by a score of 108-103. The two teams have met 152 times since they have both been located in Los Angeles, and the Lakers have dominated the series. The Lakers have posted a 101-51 record against the Clippers, despite struggling in a big way against them in recent years. The Lakers rattled off 16 straight victories over the Clippers from 1997-2000, but the Clippers responded with an 11-game winning streak from 2014-16. The Los Angeles Lakers are the much more popular franchise in LA, drawing big name celebrities to almost every single home game. The Clippers clearly want what the Lakers have, but they have yet to be able to beat the odds and dethrone the Lakers in postseason play.

The Los Angeles Clippers actually got their start as the Buffalo Braves when they joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1970. In 1978, the team moved to San Diego and became known as the San Diego Clippers. After struggling in San Diego, the team was moved to Los Angeles in 1984 and immediately became known as the "little brothers" to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Clippers have shared an arena with the Lakers since the 1999 season, but they haven't been given the same respect or opportunities as the other team in LA. The Clippers really didn't become a perennial NBA playoff team until the arrival of Blake Griffin in 2009, but they put together some great teams in a hurry. Despite having some terrific regular seasons, the Clippers were never able to advance deep in the NBA Playoffs, and they are still looking for their first NBA Championship in franchise history.

The Lakers were founded in 1947 when the team began playing games in Minneapolis. The Lakers had immediate success upon joining the National Basketball League, winning five titles by the 1955 season. The team was moved to Los Angeles in 1960, and they have been one of the best NBA franchises since that time. Odds are that even the casual NBA fan can name some of the most famous Lakers of all time, and there have been a ton of them. The "Showtime" Lakers of the 1980's are one of the most iconic teams in NBA history, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led the team to a three-peat from 2000-02, and Kobe Bryant led them to another two titles in 2009-10. The iconic purple and gold uniforms are one of the most famous in professional sports, and Lakers games attract some of the world's biggest celebrities. The Lakers have struggled in recent seasons, but the addition of LeBron James should have them back on top of the league in the upcoming years.

Head to Head Comparison of Lakers vs. Clippers

There really is no comparison when looking at the Lakers and Clippers postseason success. The Lakers have won the second-most championships in NBA history with 16, while the Clippers are still looking for their first. In fact, the Clippers have yet to win a single Conference Championship despite many people making the prediction of them winning the Western Conference in several seasons. The Clippers did manage to win the division in both 2013 and 2014, but the Lakers have won 23 division titles in franchise history. The Clippers have a long way to go if they want to replicate the success of their rival.

Glance at Lakers and Clippers Last 20 Games

The Los Angeles Lakers have dominated the Clippers in the all-time standings, but that hasn't been the case in the last 20 games. Taking a look back at the last 20 games might help us make predictions moving forward, but it has been one of the only periods of dominance by the Clippers. The Los Angeles Clippers have dominated their rival over the last 20 games, winning 17 of the possible 20 matchups. The Clippers have a 10-game winning streak during the last 20 games, and they have also rattled off six straight wins against the Lakers. Taking a look at the home/away records for this rivalry doesn't really matter since both teams play their home games at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. If you think that the Clippers are going to continue to beat up on the Lakers in future seasons, odds are that you will be sorely mistaken. The Lakers will figure out a way to get back on top in this rivalry.

Detailed Series Splits For Lakers-Clippers Rivalry

Looking deeper into the last 20 games of this rivalry can help us see which team was the right team to bet on in terms of the odds and their win totals. The Los Angeles Clippers were the betting favorite in all but one of the last 20 meetings between these two teams. The Clippers managed to cover the spread 11 times out of those 19 meetings, meaning that they were the correct betting pick. The only time that the Lakers were the "favorites" in this rivalry was in the most recent meeting, and they managed to cover the spread and win the game outright. If you take a look at the over/under or "total" bet in the last 20 games, the results have been much closer. The Lakers and Clippers combined to go over the point total just eight times, while the under was the winner the other 12 games. These numbers will likely change drastically as the Lakers continue to improve, but the Clippers and the under have been the right betting picks in the last 20 games.