Coming off an embarrassing effort earlier in the week, the Los Angeles Lakers needed to regain themselves and they had a great opportunity to do so against the Portland Trail Blazers in their third In-Season Tournament game.
The Lakers faced off against the Blazers this past Sunday, but this time Los Angeles got off to a faster start on both ends of the floor. Although the Lakers gave up some runs, the team ultimately held on for the wire-to-wire win.
Los Angeles became the only undefeated team in In-Season Tournament group play and lead Group A with a +42 point differential.
LeBron James seems to be treating the In-Season Tournament like it’s the playoffs as he had another big performance for the Lakers. James had everything going from the field, particularly from outside as he had plenty of confidence in his jumper.
James continues to defy Father Time as he tied his season-high in scoring with 35 points while also dishing out nine assists and pulling down five rebounds.
Anthony Davis remained offensively challenged despite the obvious advantage in the interior, but he at least looked more mobile compared to the game against the Sacramento Kings. Davis wasn’t very efficient from the field as he was 8-of-19, but defensively had was more active as he recorded five blocks and three steals.
D’Angelo Russell has been on a tear shooting the basketball and that continued against Portland as he was hot early on in the first quarter. Russell was able to punish the Blazers from deep, knocking down 4-of-7 from range en route to 14 points.
Russell was also great as a playmaker as he led the team in assists with six.
Cam Reddish didn’t have a big scoring night as he only pitched in with eight points, but defensively he had another strong performance. Reddish has been able to rack up steals because he’s got long arms and great instincts, and forced three more steals against Portland.
Jerami Grant was once again a thorn in the Lakers’ size as he led the Blazers in scoring with 24 points.
What’s next for Lakers
Los Angeles will return home to face off against the Houston Rockets on Sunday. The Lakers will then have an opportunity to secure the top seed in group play when they play the Utah Jazz on Tuesday. However, they face another quick turnaround when they play the Dallas Mavericks the next day.
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