The Los Angeles Lakers were able to snap their four-game losing streak, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 128-120.
The Lakers got out to an early lead behind their defense as they were able to contain the Blazers while LeBron James distributed the basketball well. Damian Lillard eventually got going, hitting a few jumpers including a deep three that gave Portland the lead.
James took it upon himself to carry the scoring burden for Los Angeles, hitting a corner three and then eventually driving into the paint and finishing consecutive layups against Hassan Whiteside. Kyle Kuzma then picked up the slack, scoring seven points with James on the bench and helping the Lakers go into the second quarter up 34-32.
The Blazers got off to a hot start from beyond the arc to start the quarter, but Rajon Rondo was able to answer for the Lakers, scoring their first seven points. Meanwhile, Kuzma continued to score in bunches, hitting a turnaround jumper and following that up with two threes.
Los Angeles was able to extend their lead thanks to the bench as Alex Caruso and Dwight Howard provided excellent defense while also converting on their open looks on the offensive end. The Blazers went on a small run to cut the deficit but the Lakers still went into the locker room up 71-64.
Los Angeles was able to stave off a mini Portland run to start the third quarter and went back up double digits as James was able to find Anthony Davis near the basket for a couple of lay-ins. However, the Blazers battled back and eventually took back the lead after a CJ McCollum three.
The lead bounced back and forth as both teams took advantage of free throws, but Rondo once again served as an unlikely scoring source for the Lakers. He sparked a 13-5 run that gave Los Angeles a 103-95 advantage going into the fourth.
Anthony Tolliver knocked down a pair of threes to help narrow the deficit, but a block from James led to a layup for Kuzma that helped Los Angeles keep Portland at bay. Howard also injected some much-needed energy into the team, getting loose for dunks and blocking shots in the paint.
The Lakers were finally able to pull away down the stretch as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope nailed a couple of corner threes while Davis finished a lob from James that effectively sealed the win.
