D’Angelo Russell scored 29, LeBron James added 28 and the Los Angeles Lakers lap the Portland Trail Blazers at the Crypto.com Center, 134-110. Portland was led by a near triple-double from Malcolm Brogdon.
The Blazers kick off their four-game roadtrip by falling to 12-30 as the Lakers return to equilibrium, 22-22. Both Portland and Los Angeles came into the game after playing on Friday night.
The Blazers played in relative health, as they only missed Shaedon Sharpe. The sophomore guard remains out with an abdominal strain. The Lakers missed wing Taurean Prince, out with a knee injury.
Star Efforts
LeBron James continues to take Father Time to the dry cleaners. He end the night with the belief that there’s nothing a 20-plus point performance can not buff out on an old suit. The results speak for themselves: 28 point, five rebounds, five assists on 8-16 shooting and 9-10 from the free throw line.
D’Angelo Russell, however, was the major story tonight. His phenomenal play led all teams with an efficient 34 points, eight assists and a pair of blocks. When the Blazers dared him to shoot, he shot and they paid for it. Anthony Davis, for his part, clocked in a workman double-double with 14 points and rebounds apiece.
For the Blazers it was Malcolm Brogdon who made the most of the loss. He finished with 23 points, nine assists and seven boards on 8-17 shooting. More importantly, he looked like the only Trail Blazer that could functionally run an offense for long periods of time.
Anfernee Simons added 19 points, two rebounds and three assists on 8-15 shooting. However, he committed four turnovers crucial to the game flow. Jerami Grant’s 17 points proved a hard-fought game as he tried everything to find a rhythm.
How It Happened
Riding high after a win against the Indiana Pacers, the Blazers came into the game with their 21st unique starting lineup with Simons returning after illness. The Lakers, by comparison, have been a model for stability but have struggled to find success. A home loss to the equally struggling Brooklyn Nets heralded their entry.
Los Angeles came out ready to run, jumping out to a 17-6 run with James directing the offense and Russell capitalizing off-the-ball. Every rebound, long or otherwise, provided the spark for the Lakers to run, run and run.
The Blazers did respond, cobbling together a 16-4 run to tie the game at 24. Malcolm Brogdon and led Portland in the quarter with 10 points. Two early fouls on Deandre Ayton forced him out and allowed the Lakers free reign in the paint. They closed the quarter driving to a five-point margin, 36-31.
Lakers Lap Blazers
In the second quarter, Los Angeles found separation; Simons committed three quick turnovers that led to easy buckets and a second-chance three from Russell. The 11-5 run forced a timeout from Chauncey Billups to refocus his squad.
Despite a noble effort from Jabari Walker on the glass, and continued success with Brogdon at the point guard position, the Blazers could not find their rhythm. Walker continues to impress in the starting lineup. He finished with 12 points and seven rebounds on 5-8 shooting.
The feed from Brogdon to Camara for a cutting dunk provided possibly the easiest basket of meaning all night. Portland sunk to 9-23 from the field in the period as the Lakers continued shooting hot, finishing 12-23.
Los Angeles’ offense fed off 19 fast break points for the half. They typified the trend with a showtime bounce lob from Russell to James in the open court. The pair led all scorers with 13 to finish the half and Los Angeles went into the break leading 67-54.
Opening the second half, the Blazers made their run. An alley-oop lob from Simons to Ayton would pull Portland within nine, but they would come no closer. The Blazers began to commit frustration fouls as the game plan fell apart. The Lakers continued to hit shots from almost everywhere on the floor, as Russell led the charge with another 13 points in the quarter.
From there, the fourth quarter became a formality. The Blazer starters gave their last gasp to little effect. James and Russell put the finishing touches on the game. The white flag raised with six minutes to go, and both benches went out to play.
When the dust settled the Lakers had run then walked to a 134-110 victory.
The Stats Are A Track Meet
Altogether, Portland put together a solid statistical game, making 42-90 field goals on 46.7% shooting. However, they were outclassed by Los Angeles’ 46-86 mark (54.7%). The Blazers managed only a subpar 9-29 from beyond the arc (31%) to the Lakers’ respective 13-33 (39.4%) and a slew of fouls put the Laker squad on the line for 27-29 (93.1%). While the Blazers managed 17-20 on the line (85%), a chunk of those came in the waning minutes with the game already decided.
The Lakers notched more of or tied in almost every basic statistical category. They had more assists, 28-24; rebounds, 45-35; steals, 9-7; blocks, 6-5; bench points; 34-33; and points in the paint, 60-58. Both teams tied in turnovers, 12, and offensive boards, 10.
What stats did the Blazers lead on? Well, they capitalized on points on turnovers, 23-15 but they committed more fouls, 21-18. Not many teams can win a game by leading in those two categories while losing nearly every other battle.
The most telling numbers came in transition. The Lakers demolished the Blazers on the fast break, scoring 35-8. In many ways, that was the game.
Where To Next
The Blazers will continue a four-game road trip against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. Portland hopes to bounce back and put a historic loss behind them. The Lakers will continue their season against the Clippers in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
