Luka Doncic gave the Lakers everything he had and then some, but it still wasn’t enough to escape Portland with a win. Los Angeles fell 136-129 in a track meet, even after Doncic dropped 41 points and Austin Reaves added 26 of his own.
Doncic was everywhere for the Lakers offensively, piling up nine assists and six made threes while attacking Portland’s defense all night. He shot 12-22 from the field and went 11-13 at the line, finishing with five rebounds, a block and just two turnovers in 36 minutes. Reaves matched the pace with an efficient night of his own, going for 26 points, seven assists and zero turnovers while knocking down four triples.
The problem for Los Angeles was that Portland kept answering. The Trail Blazers shot 59.0% from the field and hit 18 threes at a 50.0% clip, outpacing the Lakers’ strong 56.3% shooting.
The biggest separator came at the free-throw stripe, where Portland got 41 attempts and converted 26, while the Lakers went 22-for-30. The Blazers also forced 15 turnovers, turned those into 19 points, and won the rebounding battle 38-31.
Even with 22 fast-break points and big nights from their top two scorers, the Lakers couldn’t generate enough stops to keep Portland from pulling away.
Behind the stars, Sandro Mamukelashvili provided a major lift off the bench. He scored 17 points in 24 minutes, shooting 6-9 from the floor and 3-4 from three, and added four rebounds and two assists. Ziaire Williams was also efficient, finishing with 11 points, four assists and two steals on 4-5 shooting.
Walker Kessler gave Los Angeles a sturdy interior line with 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, but four turnovers and a 1-4 mark at the free-throw line took some shine off the outing. Jake LaRavia made the most of his minutes with five points, three steals and no turnovers.
Collin Sexton had nine points and four assists, though he missed all five of his three-point tries and coughed it up three times. Matisse Thybulle added five points but also had three turnovers, while Quentin Grimes managed just two points on 1-4 shooting.
Kevon Looney played five minutes.
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Blazers Exposed A Big Lakers Problem Even On Lukas Night
Luka Doncic gave the Lakers exactly the sort of explosive scoring night they hoped for, piling up 40 points against the Trail Blazers and adding another entry to a growing list of big performances in Los Angeles. It was his 20th career 40-point game for the Lakers, pushing him past LeBron James for sixth on the franchises all-time list in that category, a notable marker even in a loss.
But Portland still walked away with a 136-129 win, which is the part that should linger for the Lakers. When one of the leagues most dangerous scorers can post a night like that and it still isnt enough, it points to how much the rest of the roster has to hold up around him. For the Blazers, it was a reminder that they can absorb a star outburst and still find a way to finish the job. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers May Have Avoided A Giannis Problem Miami Couldn't
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Miami is now living with the realities of that kind of move after landing Giannis, and the opening stretch has not exactly looked like the instant contender blueprint the Heat hoped for. A poor start has already raised questions about how quickly the roster can support a title push, which only adds another layer to Portlands what-if. The Blazers may not have landed the biggest name in the conversation, but they also avoided the immediate pressure that comes with trying to make a championship timeline work from day one. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Just Gave Fans A Real Reason To Believe In This Group
The Trail Blazers walked into Crypto.com Arena and came away with a statement win, toppling the Lakers 136-129 to hand Los Angeles its first loss of the season. It was the kind of result that can change the way people talk about a team in a hurry, especially when it comes against a high-profile opponent with Luka Doncic putting up 41 points and the Blazers answering with a balanced attack instead of leaning on one hot hand.
Portland got contributions from Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Deni Avdija, a spread of production that fit the way this group has looked under Micah Nori. The Blazers are now 3-0 for their new coach, and while one early-season win never settles anything on its own, this one offered a cleaner glimpse of a team that can survive tough stretches by sharing the load and winning in a game that was there to be claimed. [Read more 🡒]