PORTLAND — The Lakers break their slump in Portland behind a lifting duo performance from LeBron James and Austin Reaves, who combined for 72 points, dropping the Trail Blazers 110-102 on Thursday.
With Luka Dončić sidelined due to his lingering calf injury, the Lakers needed a big night from their star duo to snap their skid and gain ground in a tight West.
The effects of a back-to-back were evident for the Lakers, who arrived in Portland from Los Angeles at 3 a.m. and struggled at times against a young Blazers team that pressured the ball from the start. Their sloppy play led to tying a season-high 22 turnovers, with James (season-worst 11) and Reaves (six) accounting for 17 of them as the team’s primary ball handlers.
James shook off his turnover frenzy first half with 26 points in the second half, continuing his race against father time and showing zero signs of slowing down. He finished with 40 points (eight rebounds, four assists) for the second time this month, becoming the only player in NBA history at 40 years old with multiple 40-point games.
"He's [James] one of the greatest competitors," head coach JJ Redick said. "He's amazing to coach; he brings it every single day; he sets the standard at how you're supposed to approach this craft."
Reaves showed signs of fatigue in the final minutes as a result of on-ball pressure all-game from Portland but battled through it despite playing 40 minutes on the night. He scored 11 of 32 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Lakers get their 14th road win this season, improving their record to 33-21 (fifth in the West).
The Lakers continued their struggles, coming out of the half slow in Portland. They were outscored 30-23 in the third quarter and played a big part in the Trail Blazers getting back into the game, coming back from down 18 points.
In the past three games, the Lakers have been outscored 102-71 in the third quarter, highlighting their slow starts in the second half.
Portland’s Deni Avdija hurt the Lakers in the quarter, scoring 16 points, which pushed their comeback and deficit to a one-point game at the end of the third. He led the Blazers with 28 points on an efficient nine-of-14 (64%) shooting in 33 minutes.
The Lakers turned the tables to start the fourth quarter with a 13-2 jump behind back-to-back 3-pointers from James.
L.A. would carry that momentum from then on, maintaining their lead and finishing out the game as the Blazers ran out of clock despite getting within four.
The Lakers finished shooting under 30% from three in their second straight game, shooting 28.1% (nine-of-32) from deep. Their effort attacking the glass, with 50 points in the paint, helped their overall percentage from the floor, finishing at 47.6% overall despite struggles from 3-point range.
Next Game
The Lakers remain on the road in their next contest, traveling to Denver to face the Nuggets in a Saturday evening matchup. Denver is currently on a nine-game win streak, sitting second in the West with a 37-19 record.
After that, they will have a six-game home stand against high-level opponents. They will see the Mavericks, Timberwolves, Knicks, and Clippers twice in that stretch.