Damian Lillard Outduels LeBron James as Blazers Beat Lakers
Ashley Landis/Associated Press
The Portland Path Blazers beat the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers 115-107 on Monday at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Portland build the clamps on Los Angeles in the fourth quarter, maintaining L.A. to 22 facets over the closing 12 minutes.
Gary Trent Jr. came off the bench to play a starring position, hitting seven three-pointers. Enes Kanter and Jusuf Nurkic also combined for 26 rebounds to present Portland a minute edge on the boards. And while he struggled from the floor, CJ McCollum accomplished with a double-double (20 facets, 11 assists).
Right here’s shaping as much as be an uncommon season, with the Lakers shedding sooner or later after the Los Angeles Clippers suffered a 51-point defeat by the arms of the Dallas Mavericks. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers entered Monday night with the NBA‘s simplest tale (3-0).
Nobody shall be panicking about the Lakers, but they’ll fall victim to extra twists and turns than expected in protection of their title.
Essential Performers
LeBron James, SF, Lakers: 29 facets, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals, one block
Dennis Schroder, PG, Lakers: 24 facets, four rebounds, four assists, one hang
Gary Trent Jr., SG, Blazers: 28 facets, three rebounds, one reduction
Damian Lillard, PG, Blazers: 31 facets, 5 assists, four rebounds, one block
Trent Catches Fire from Deep
The Lakers skilled Dame Time firsthand in closing year’s playoffs. The conference semifinals also demonstrated how Damian Lillard’s one-man display camouflage is no longer sufficient to conquer an elite opponent in a seven-game playoff sequence.
Getting spacious video games from supporting avid gamers equivalent to Trent is how the Blazers get to the subsequent level without including one other neatly-known particular person. His 16 first-half facets were instrumental in wresting the lead away from Los Angeles.
Trent modified into largely anonymous in the third quarter forward of exploding all but again in the fourth.
Trent made plan for Lillard with 7: 14 left in the game because the Blazers were up 96-91. In all chance no longer coincidentally, the Lakers tied issues up interior two minutes.
You obviously favor Lillard on the floor for the closing stretch, but Portland lost its most popular scorer. Portland’s offense skidded for fairly forward of a pair of threes from Lillard and McCollum offered some respiratory room all around the closing four minutes.
To continue combating succor and lastly scheme again speaks to what on the total is a peculiar Blazers crew from years past. This wasn’t a wide performance from Portland, and it quiet earned a troublesome-fought street victory.
Lakers Unable to Survive Roller-Coaster Affair
Los Angeles constructed an early 13-point lead in the first quarter forward of Portland chipped away on the deficit and lastly jumped forward 58-54 at halftime.
Lillard linked on a 3-pointer to birth the third quarter, but the Lakers responded with 15 straight facets to as soon as extra prefer preserve an eye on. L.A. didn’t revel in the speak for long as Portland launched into one other offensive bustle.
Every time you belief you had a bearing on issues, one other shock modified into in retailer.
The Lakers were on the 2nd half of a succor-to-succor and participating of their third game in four days. The plan in which all over which they wilted in the fourth might perchance perchance display camouflage a level of fatigue that had wretchedness in.
And due to he wanted to get his offense firing, head coach Frank Vogel opted for a closing lineup that left his crew uncovered on the defensive cease.
The cease result felt both inevitable and wanted as Vogel figures out his blueprint and Los Angeles navigates thru the season.
What’s Next?
The Lakers originate a four-game street spin back and forth Wednesday towards the San Antonio Spurs. The Blazers pause in L.A. for their next game as they play the Clippers on Wednesday in the 2nd leg of their street spin back and forth.