The Los Angeles Clippers take on the Los Angeles Lakers at crypto.com Arena on Thursday night.

The Clippers come into their regular-season opener with no shortage of elevated expectations after a middling 42-40 season in the 2021-22 campaign and a subsequent ouster in the play-in round. The long-awaited return of Kawhi Leonard, whose absence for the entirety of the season while rehabbing from knee surgery naturally played a part in the team's occasional struggles, is what's most fueling the abundant optimism surrounding the franchise. The Clippers also made an intriguing offseason addition in veteran John Wall, who also didn't take the floor last year based on a mutual agreement with his former Houston Rockets squad and will open the season on the bench behind Reggie Jackson. Paul George, Marcus Morris and Ivica Zubac, the latter who took a significant step forward with a career-high 10.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 block in 76 games.

The Clippers come into Thursday's season opener without any injuries to report.

The Lakers (0-1) will be playing their second game of the new campaign Thursday after falling to the Golden State Warriors on the road Tuesday night by a 123-109 score. Los Angeles was led by LeBron James' 31 points, which he complemented with 14 rebounds and eight assists. Anthony Davis followed with 27 points, six boards and four steals. Russell Westbrook generated a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double that included three assists and one steal. Kendrick Nunn furnished 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal in 23 minutes off the bench.

The Lakers will be without Dennis Schroder (thumb), Thomas Bryant (thumb) and Troy Brown (back) for Thursday's game.

The Clippers swept the four-game 2021-22 season series from the Lakers.