Lakers take Los Angeles derby without Doncic

The Los Angeles Lakers claimed bragging rights in the LA derby, taking down the Clippers 103-87 in Inglewood without Luka Doncic. The Slovenian guard, who had just dropped 41 points in Portland during the team's first setback of the season on Tuesday, was sidelined with back soreness as a precaution, though the injury is not expected to keep him out for long.

The contest was effectively settled in the second quarter, when the Lakers unleashed a devastating 16-0 run to turn a 31-29 deficit into a 45-31 lead. Quentin Grimes led the scoring for the Lakers with 23 points, supported by 21 off the bench from Collin Sexton and 16 from Austin Reaves, who went scoreless in the second half. For the Clippers, rookie substitute Keaton Wagler stood out with 21 points, while Derrick Jones Jr. added 15 and Darius Garland chipped in with 14. With the victory, the Lakers improve to 4-1 on the season, while the Clippers drop to 1-3.

Elsewhere, the Miami Heat picked up their first win of the campaign by defeating the Atlanta Hawks 129-117 on the road. The milestone moment of the night belonged to Bam Adebayo, who not only shared game-high scoring honors with Giannis Antetokounmpo at 24 points apiece, but also surpassed franchise icon Udonis Haslem to become the all-time leading rebounder in Miami Heat history. Adebayo tallied nine rebounds and three assists, while Antetokounmpo commanded the glass with 18 boards. For the hosts, Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the way with 23 points.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers traveled to Indianapolis to edge out the Indiana Pacers 114-109. Coming off a 106-93 defeat to the Detroit Pistons the previous Sunday (25), the 76ers notched their fourth win of the regular season, adding to earlier victories over the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers.