7-of-13 shooting, including three 3-pointers, for 20 points.

The Clippers’ second-rated defense was helpless against the Lakers’ attack, especially inside, where they scored 46 of their points.

And the Clippers’ offense wasn’t any better. The Lakers outshot their L.A. neighbors 54.9% to 37.8% and shot 48.6% from 3-point range.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said he thought both the Lakers and Mavericks got better after exchanging their star players.

“AD is a hell of a player on both sides of the basketball. And Luka is a hell of a player who’s given me nightmares in the playoffs for a long time. So, they’re both great players,” Lue said.

Lue had to be happy Doncic wasn’t on the court for this game. The outcome might have been worse.

The Lakers dominated the Clippers from start to finish, leading by as many as 31 points, controlling the paint and limiting James Harden to seven points and Ivica Zubac to eight points and 10 rebounds. Norman Powell led the Clippers with 20 points and Derrick Jones Jr. added 17.

“We could beat any team,” Lue said. “We also, if we don’t play the right way, we can lose to any team.”

This was the latter.

A technical foul called on Lakers coach JJ Redick, who argued extensively about a call, with 8:23 left in the third quarter gave the Clippers a momentary lift. They scored seven consecutive points, five by Jones Jr., to trim the Lakers’ lead to 13 (79-66) at the 7:21 mark of the third.

But 33 seconds later, the Lakers had pushed their lead back to 20 points, deflating the Clippers’ hopes of turning the game around.

The Clippers came out sluggish and without much energy against a short-handed yet spirited Lakers lineup. The Lakers led 73-50 at the half and that didn’t tell the whole story.

The Lakers led by as many as 24 in the first half, turned the ball over just four times in the first 24 minutes and shot 60.9% from the field and 57.9% from the 3-point range.

The Clippers couldn’t match the Lakers’ intensity and struggled at every turn. They shot 39.1% from the field and failed to get inside for easy layups.

The Clippers’ new players, Patty Mills and Drew Eubanks, both acquired in a trade with the Utah Jazz, saw action in the final six minutes of the game.