After losing their past two games, the Los Angeles Lakers were hungry for a victory in Thursday night's showdown against the Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. Without Luka Doncic on the second night of a back-to-back, the Lakers managed to pick up the win and avoid sliding further down the West standings.
The Blazers were held to 15 points in the first quarter, which helped the Lakers build an early double-digit lead. As Portland began to heat up offensively they closed the gap on the Lakers and pulled the game to within a few points by the third quarter. It was a close game in the final quarter before the away team pulled away down the stretch to secure the 110-102 win.
Despite 11 turnovers, LeBron James had a pretty solid showing in this game with 40 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on 58.3% shooting. In the backcourt, Austin Reaves was on fire with 32 points, one rebound, and seven assists on 42.9% shooting. At center, big man Jaxson Hayes finished with nine points, seven rebounds, and four assists on 57.1% shooting.
For the Trail Blazers, Deni Avdija was the leading scorer and he had 28 points, four rebounds, and five assists in 34 minutes. He was followed by Toumani Camara, who dropped 19 points, seven rebounds, and three assists on 87.5% shooting. Off the bench, Scoot Henderson contributed 12 points, two rebounds, and five assists in 30 minutes of action.
A concerning loss to the Hornets on Wednesday had Lakers fans in a dark place this week but this latest win was enough to settle their nerves. While there is still much work to be done for the Lakers, they showed tonight what makes them such a versatile opponent and why they cannot be counted out in the Western Conference playoff bracket.
Unstoppable Duo
Losing Anthony Davis was a big blow for the Lakers and they didn't even have Luka Doncic tonight to make up the difference. Fortunately, LeBron James and Austin Reaves stepped up with major performances tonight and it was enough to power the Lakers to victory.
James was the game's leading scorer with 38 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on 4-8 shooting from three. At 40 years old, LeBron hasn't lost a beat offensively and he was bullying the Trail Blazers with ridiculous shot-making all night long.
Austin Reaves was making plays on both ends of the floor, taking charges on defense and hitting threes on the other end. In 39 minutes, Reaves finished with 32 points, one rebound, and seven assists on 9-21 shooting from the field. Together, Reaves and James were an unstoppable two-man show and they carried the Lakers to the win.
Dominant Rebounding Performance
The Trail Blazers played suffocating defense and forced 16 turnovers on the Lakers (including 11 for LeBron). What helped give the Lakers the edge in this game was winning the battle on the glass.
The Lakers outrebounded Portland 48-33, thanks to Rui Hachimura (12 rebounds), LeBron James (eight rebounds), and Jaxson Hayes (seven rebounds) who maintained a steady rim presence all throughout the game. This season, with an average of 41.2 rebounds per game, the Lakers rank 26th in the league in the category but tonight is evidence that they can do better.
On a night when the Lakers shot 47.6% and tallied 22 turnovers, they needed the extra effort on the boards to give them some extra possessions, slow down the game, and offset their team-wide struggles. Against the 23-33 Trail Blazers, it was enough to escape with a win but they may not be so lucky the next time they play such sloppy basketball.
Elite Foul Shooting
It was a true battle in Portland tonight as the Lakers fought hard to stave off the Blazers without several key players. As the offenses for both teams struggled to stay efficient, it was at the line where the Lakers were able to keep their lead and gain some separation from the competition.
The Lakers shot 92% on free throws, going 23-25 while the Trail Blazers went just 14-21 (66.7%). Austin Reaves was the main free throw merchant in this game, going 12-13 in 40 minutes to cap off a brilliant performance. In such a close game where even the small things can make a difference, those nine extra points at the line just made it that much harder for the Trail Blazers to pull off the upset.
With 50 of the Lakers' 110 points coming from the restricted area, it's clear they saw a weakness in Portland's frontcourt and they successfully exploited it tonight by pounding the ball inside and playing aggressively on the boards. The reward was free points at the free throw line, which might have made the difference in this contest.
In the end, it's just one game in a long 82-game season but it's no secret that the Lakers are on the clock to build a title contender. They have no time to waste with LeBron James and Luka Doncic this season and every game feels like a must-win for the franchise
So far, despite early growing pains, the Lakers are holding it down and they keep winning games thanks to the heroics of LeBron James and Austin Reaves. With Luka back in the fold for Friday's game against the Nuggets, the Lake Show will get some much-needed reinforcements this week but the hard work has only just begun.
