Five days after the Lakers won the first regular-season Battle of LA, the rivals get a quick rematch. This time it’s at Intuit Dome, and the Clippers are staring at an injury list that has swallowed half their rotation. The Lakers are 3-1 and fifth in the West, while the Clippers are 1-2 and ninth. The Lakers are also playing the second night of a back-to-back, which is the one real variable here.

When Is Lakers vs. Clippers, and What Time Does the Game Start?

Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT at Intuit Dome in Inglewood. For the rest of the country, that’s 10:30 p.m. ET, 9:30 p.m. CT, and 8:30 p.m. MT. If you’re reading this from across the pond, you’re staring at a 2:30 a.m. GMT start on Thursday. Brutal, but that’s the cost of fandom.

Where Can You Watch Lakers vs. Clippers Live on TV and Streaming?

Since the Clippers are the home team, the local broadcast comes from their side. Local coverage is on KTLA and ClipperVision, with the radio call on AM 570. Channels vary by provider, so check your local listings. Out-of-market fans can use NBA League Pass, and Fubo offers a free trial. Blackout rules still apply inside the local market.

What Is the Lakers vs. Clippers Injury Report?

The Clippers are walking into this one with a much longer injury list, and “long” might be an understatement. Here’s the latest official designation table as of Wednesday, Oct. 28:

Which Lakers Players Are Injured or Questionable Against the Clippers?

Honestly? The Lakers’ list is about as clean as it gets. Two names, both day-to-day, neither in the top eight of the rotation: Carr (oblique) and Thiero (knee). Everyone else on a standard deal is expected to be available, including Kessler.

That matters more than it sounds. Kessler is averaging 8.0 rebounds and giving JJ Redick a real rim-protecting anchor. With him active, the Lakers don’t have to downshift to small-ball against Isaiah Jackson.

The backcourt is where the health shows up. Collin Sexton is back from the right soleus strain that wiped out his preseason, and Jake LaRavia is off the report entirely after that ankle scare in the opener.

The one thing to monitor is Thiero’s knee. He’s a defensive-energy piece Redick likes in switches, and if he sits, it trims some of the wing depth that lets the Lakers blitz pick-and-rolls. Day-to-day is the word, and there’s no timeline beyond that.

Which Clippers Players Are Injured or Questionable Against the Lakers?

Six names. Zero questionable. That’s not a rotation problem; it’s a roster problem.

The freshest blow is Hachimura’s quad, which ruled him out for tonight’s game. He’d been the Clippers’ leading rebounder at 6.0 a game and one of the few healthy bodies who could punish a switching defense inside.

The larger absences are structural. Ingram (heel/Achilles) and Strus (plantar fascia) were supposed to supply the wing scoring and spacing around Darius Garland. Beal was supposed to be the secondary creator. Niederhauser was supposed to back up the five. All four are parked without a firm return date, with Strus due to be re-evaluated in early November, and Miller is out far longer after rotator cuff surgery.

What Are the Expected Starting Lineups for Lakers vs. Clippers?

These are projections, not confirmed lineups; injury designations and the coach’s decisions could shuffle things before tipoff.

Lakers (projected): Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Walker Kessler. LaRavia, now off the report, could slide into the wing spot alongside Dončić and Reaves, pushing Thybulle or Williams to the bench. The backcourt of Dončić and Reaves is locked in; the wing minutes are the moving piece.

Clippers (projected): Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, Kobe Sanders, Derrick Jones Jr., Isaiah Jackson. With Beal, Ingram, Strus, and Hachimura all out, the Clippers are leaning on Garland as the primary creator and Dunn as the defensive pest, with Sanders stepping into the starting group in Hachimura’s place. Brook Lopez could start at center depending on matchups, but Jackson’s energy has been a tone-setter.

The Lakers have the healthier roster and an elite offense, even after Tuesday’s 136-129 loss to Portland. The Clippers have Garland, a chip on their shoulder, and a rotation held together with duct tape. On paper, this favors L.A.’s purple and gold. But rivalry games have a way of ignoring paper.

Garland is running the show with very little shooting around him, and it’s showing in the turnover column. The Clippers coughed up 26 turnovers in the 125-117 loss to the Lakers on Oct. 23, nine of them from Garland, and LA turned those into 33 points.

Lakers vs. Clippers Predictions

Luka Dončić over 29.5 points. The Slovenian has been filling it up all season, and there’s no reason to think a Clippers team missing its best perimeter defenders slows him down. Dončić is chasing milestones every time he laces them up, this feels like another step in what’s shaping into a monster year. Thirty is a low bar for a guy who dropped 52 at Utah and 41 against Portland this week.

Lakers -4.5. LA comes off a loss to Portland, but the talent gap here is real. The Clippers fight; they always do under Tyronn Lue, but with Beal, Ingram, Strus, and now Hachimura out, asking them to keep it inside five for 48 minutes is a tall order. Note that the number is thinner than the 5.5 it opened at, so the market has already moved toward the Clippers.

Over 229.5 total points. Every Lakers game this season has cleared this number, including the 242 points they combined for with the Clippers on Oct. 23. With a tired-ish Lakers roster and a Clippers team down to a nine-man rotation and leaking turnovers, the pace should get loose, and this one should be decided at the offensive end.

However, these are only estimates, and the final injury list is still to be confirmed.