The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to put the finishing touches on a successful road trip that will conclude at the Moda Center against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Lakers are coming off impressive wins against two projected playoff contenders in the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz on back-to-back nights. It is safe to say they have managed to make quite the statement to those that downplayed their stellar start to the 2019-20 NBA season due to a lack of quality opponents.
They are now looking to make it three straight against a Blazers team that has now won four of their last five games with their only loss coming on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers. There is no question the addition of Carmelo Anthony has helped provide a much-needed spark following their sluggish start to the season.
Portland kicked off their four-game homestand with a win over the Sacramento Kings thanks to the efforts of C.J. McCollum after dropping 33 points. Although Hassan Whiteside has largely been a disappointment this season, he was finally able to show some promise with 22 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks, and a career-high seven assists.
Regardless, there is no question that Damian Lillard will be looking to make his presence felt as usual against Los Angeles after averaging 26.7 points per game against them throughout his career.
Fortunately, the Lakers finally have a formidable duo of their own to match up with the Blazers All-Star backcourt in the form of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Both players are currently clicking on all cylinders as the only pair of teammates in the league averaging at least 25.0 points per game. As a result, James is firmly in the discussion for MVP while leading the NBA in assists and Davis has easily established himself as the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year thanks to his prowess.
Despite their success early on, Los Angeles is still far from a finished product. The onus will continue to fall on James and Davis to ensure they are making the necessary progress as a team with each game starting in Portland.
Los Angeles Lakers (19-3) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (9-13)
7:30 P.M. PT, Dec. 6, 2019
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
TV: Spectrum SportsNet/NBA TV
Radio: 710 AM (ESPN), 1330 KWKW (Spanish)
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: LeBron James
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF: Danny Green
PF: Anthony Davis
C: JaVale McGee
Key Reserves: Kyle Kuzma, Dwight Howard, Alex Caruso, Rajon Rondo, Quinn Cook
Projected Trail Blazers Starting Lineup:
PG: Damian Lillard
SG: C.J. McCollum
SF: Rodney Hood
PF: Carmelo Anthony
C: Hassan Whiteside
Key Reserves: Kent Bazemore, Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little, Skal Labissiere