The Portland Trail Blazers are back in NBA Cup action for the first time this season, and the matchup sends them back to Los Angeles to face the Lakers.
Portland already got the better of the Lakers once this year, winning 136-129 on October 27. The Blazers have gone 3-1 since then, while the Lakers have answered with a strong run of their own, taking four of their last five and riding a three-game winning streak into this one.
To get a clearer read on where Los Angeles stands, we spoke with Lakers On SI publisher Ryan Ward. His view: the Lakers have steadied themselves after the loss to Portland and have been clicking on both ends of the floor, with JJ Redick’s group looking more complete the second time around.
Ward also pointed to Luka Doncic as the engine driving everything. Even this early in the 2026-27 campaign, Doncic has continued to show more on defense, but it’s his scoring that keeps grabbing the spotlight. He’s been nearly impossible to contain, and Ward said teams tend to do their most damage only when Doncic is on the bench.
The milestones keep piling up, too. Ward called the reigning scoring champion the NBA MVP right now, with Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs the only real threat he sees to Doncic’s bid for his first regular-season award.
There’s also been a steady rise from Walker Kessler. Ward said Kessler has had some uneven games, but is settling in more as he logs reps next to Doncic and Austin Reaves. He’s producing a double-double and anchoring the paint, averaging 2.7 blocks per game, which ranks third in the league behind Myles Turner and Wembanyama.
Matisse Thybulle has also drawn praise for his start to the season. Ward said Thybulle has been better than expected, making his mark as a lockdown defender while also giving the Lakers a real threat from deep. He added that Thybulle was one of his favorite offseason additions, with health the only concern, and so far he has been solid as a starter and an important part of the team’s early success.
It shapes up as another tight Western Conference battle, but Ward sees the Lakers as the stronger side this time. In his view, Los Angeles will win a fourth straight and hand Portland its second loss of the season.
In Other News...
Damian Lillard Had Every Reason To Explode Over Dillon Brooks
Dillon Brooks managed to turn a routine stoppage into one of those moments that instantly grabs everyones attention. During a game, the Phoenix Suns wing appeared to try to step on Damian Lillards Achilles after a whistle, and Lillard reacted immediately by confronting him before referees and coaches stepped in to keep it from getting any worse. Lillard was not injured, but the sequence still had the kind of edge that can linger long after the possession is over.
For Portland fans, it was another reminder of how quickly things can get heated when Lillard is involved in a physical matchup. He has always carried himself with a calm, steady presence, so when he goes straight at an opponent like that, it says plenty about how serious the moment felt. The incident ended without further escalation, but it left plenty of room for questions about what Brooks was trying to do and how the league will view the exchange. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Backcourt Takes Another Hit After Vt Krej Scare
Vt Krejs night ended in a hurry late in the third quarter against the Suns, and the sight of him leaving the arena on crutches with a protective boot only deepened the concern around Portlands backcourt. The Trail Blazers were already dealing with multiple injuries in that area, so another setback there is the last thing they needed as the season moves along.
The immediate issue now is the uncertainty around how long Krej will be out, with the team still waiting to learn more about the fracture to his lower left leg or ankle and whether surgery will be part of the recovery plan. For a Blazers group trying to piece together guard minutes on the fly, even a short absence would be a problem, and this one could linger well beyond that. [Read more 🡒]
Dillon Brooks Is Giving Suns Fans The Wrong Kind Of Headlines
Dillon Brooks managed to turn a regular-season meeting with Portland into the kind of night that lingers long after the final buzzer. After a whistle, he kicked the back of Damian Lillards left leg, setting off a brief confrontation between the two before Lillard answered the moment the old-fashioned way, by getting back to work and finishing at the rim with Brooks in the picture.
The Blazers walked away with a 132-119 win, and Lillards 25 points helped make sure the on-court response mattered more than the post-whistle heat. Brooks still finished with 15 points for Phoenix, but the bigger takeaway for Portland was how quickly the game tilted from irritation to control, with Lillard making sure the last memorable play belonged to him. [Read more 🡒]