It's serious times for Lakers and Clippers Pau Gasol said Tuesday the Clippers must be taken "very seriously." He wasn't joking. A month ago, there would have been a few chuckles. A year ago, people would have doubled over with laughter. Not any longer. The teams meet again Wednesday in a designated Lakers home game, with the Clippers atop the Pacific Division and the Lakers 10th in the Western Conference. It's far too premature to call this a rivalry. Or is it? "I think it was always a rivalry but now that they have opportunities to win games against us, it's, like, something else," Lakers center Andrew Bynum said. Can't blame Bynum for searching for words. There's been so much Lakers domination over the years. The Clippers' franchise has won a season series against the Lakers only twice - in 1992-93 as the L.A. Clippers and in 1974-75 as the Buffalo Braves. But the Clippers got the best of the Lakers, 102-94, in a game two weekends ago amid a renewed sense of confidence. And if the Clippers win Wednesday, they will take the season series because the rivals play only three games against each other this season. The Clippers are a team that apparently must be taken seriously. "Yeah, we are, and I think that's a true statement," Clippers forward Blake Griffin said after practice Tuesday. At the same time, we don't consider ourselves the elite team and we don't consider our team a team to beat. We come out every night and we're trying to win games. There's already a mini-rivalry between Griffin and Lakers forward Matt Barnes. Barnes said Griffin flopped too much after the Clippers beat the Lakers in an exhibition last month. Barnes reiterated it Tuesday, saying, "Just like the dunks, that's a part of his game, so you've just got to adjust to it." When told about the latest remarks, Griffin turned his head toward a reporter and had a half-cocked smile on his face. Still. Still," Griffin responded. Even after the preseason game. Yes, Griffin was told. "I don't really have much to say to him or to that," Griffin said. If he's mad that I tried to take a charge, so be it. I'm not even going to get into trash-talking or going back and forth. If that's what he feels, then that's what he feels. I know I didn't flop last game. So we'll see what happens. Does Barnes' comments give credence to a growing rivalry between the teams?