![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="433" width="780" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
The battle of Los Angeles takes place on Sunday and the Lakers are hoping to get their first win over the Clippers this season. The purple and gold have spent decades dominating the city, but with the additions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers finally look like equals. While many believe there’s a fierce rivalry brewing between the two teams, Jared Dudley cooled down that idea while taking a shot at the Clippers.
“It’s huge. It’s a good rivalry,” Dudley said on Friday about playing the Clippers. “It’s a little fun. It’s not like a serious rivalry. It’s not like they have any banners hanging up. Trust me, I would know, I played for them.”
It’s true that throughout their long history, the Clippers have yet to win an NBA title. They finally have a real chance at making it happen, but the Lakers won’t make it easy. Dudley may downplay the notion of a rivalry between the two teams, but there’s no doubt they both really want to beat each other.
Dudley Believes LeBron James Is the MVP
Heading into Friday’s game with the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo was likely the front runner in the MVP race. However, LeBron James put up one of his most impressive performances of the season. Not only did he score 37 points, but he also spent a lot of the game playing defense against Giannis. It was a huge statement game from LeBron and shouldn’t be ignored when MVP voting comes along.
Jared Dudley thinks LeBron’s performance on Friday should give him the edge in the race for the award.
LeBron claims that he doesn’t care much about individual accolades, but it’s kind of hard to buy that after he clearly put on a show against the NBA’s best team. Many will still vote for Giannis if he keeps up his impressive play. That said, what LeBron is doing at age 35 is nothing short of historic. At the end of the day, the MVP doesn’t matter if he can lead the team to another title.
Follow the Heavy on Lakers Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Are Lakers Title Favorites If They Beat Clippers on Sunday?
It’ll be really hard to argue that the Lakers aren’t the best team in the NBA if they beat the Bucks and the Clippers in back-to-back games. Yes, the Bucks will probably finish the season with a better record, but they have an easier schedule playing in the East. The biggest knock on the Lakers is that they haven’t performed against the league’s best team, but they’ve beaten the Celtics and the Bucks in the last couple of weeks.
If they take it to the Clippers on Sunday, that’s just proof that they’ve come a long way and should be the favorites to win the title. No, they aren’t as deep as some of the teams they could face in the playoffs, but the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is just too good for any team to stop consistently.
READ NEXT: Lakers’ Anthony Davis Puts Clippers on Notice Ahead of Pivotal Rematch
