Lakers vs. Clippers games are the hottest tickets in the NBA this season

Everybody wants to see the new superstar duos on Los Angeles’ NBA teams in action. And if they can see them both at the same time, even better.

Thanks in no small part to the Lakers’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis and the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, matchups between the two teams rank as the top two most in-demand games for the upcoming NBA season, based on StubHub ticket sales through Tuesday.

The Oct. 22 meeting between the two teams is by far the ticket exchange company’s top-selling game of the new season and of recent memory. According to StubHub, that game is driving more than three times the ticket sales compared with the No. 2-ranked game — Lakers vs. Clippers on Dec. 25 — and is outselling the No. 1 game of 2018 — Houston Rockets at Lakers on Oct. 20 — by 58%.

This year’s season opener at Staples Center, technically a home game for the Clippers, will feature the regular-season debut for that team’s huge offseason free-agent signings, Leonard and George, as well as the first time new Laker Davis takes the court with James for the first time as teammates.

The Christmas Day matchup between the two local teams, a home game for the Lakers, might be considered the hottest ticket of the season. StubHub reports that the average ticket price for that game is 45% higher than the second-highest game, which is the teams’ October contest. On the site Tuesday morning, the cheapest ticket available for the Dec. 25 game was $269; the least expensive one for Oct. 22 was $195.

The Lakers are also the league’s most in-demand team, according to StubHub, with three other games ranked in the top 10 for ticket sales — Oct. 25 vs. Utah (No. 4), Nov. 13 vs. Golden State (No. 6) and Nov. 27 at New Orleans (No. 7).

The Clippers have no other games in the top 10 but jump to No. 2 (up from No. 10 last year) on the list of in-demand teams.

Paul George, left, and Kawhi Leonard are introduced as members of the Clippers on July 24.

(Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)

StubHub’s top 10 in-demand NBA teams

1. Lakers
2. Clippers
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. New York Knicks
5. Brooklyn Nets
6. Golden State Warriors
7. Boston Celtics
8. Toronto Raptors
9. New Orleans Pelicans
10. Miami Heat

StubHub’s top 10 in-demand NBA games

1. Lakers at Clippers, Oct. 22
2. Clippers at Lakers, Dec. 25
3. Celtics at 76ers, Oct. 23
4. Jazz at Lakers, Oct. 25
5. Bucks at 76ers, Dec. 25
6. Warriors at Lakers, Nov. 13
7. Lakers at Pelicans, Nov. 27
8. Pelicans at Raptors, Oct. 22
9. Celtics at Knicks, Oct. 26
10 76ers at Knicks, Oct. 29