LOS ANGELES — The “Battle of L.A.” between the Lakers and Clippers was downplayed as a rivalry by both coaches ahead of the first matchup of the season between the teams Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

But what wasn’t downplayed were the stakes.

More than the four-game winning streak the Lakers entered Tuesday with. And more than the opportunity for the struggling Clippers, who had lost 10 of their previous 12 games, to get back on track.

As Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes put it: “We win, we get [at least] $53K. Gotta start somewhere.”

So with the Lakers’ 135-118 victory over the Clippers, they not only guaranteed themselves at least a portion of the NBA Cup prize money, but they also clinched West Group B, securing their spot in the In-Season Tournament’s quarterfinals.

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