The Los Angeles Lakers have scored at a league-leading pace through their first three games. On Tuesday, they will face a Portland Trail Blazers team that has been right behind them.
The Lakers return home to face the unbeaten Blazers at Crypto.com Arena, where two of the NBA’s highest-scoring offenses will put their early success to the test.
L.A. is 3-0 after overcoming an 18-point deficit in Sunday’s 132-123 win over the Utah Jazz behind an explosive 52-point night from Luka Dončić.
Portland, meanwhile, enters at 2-0 with a Damian Lillard and Ja Morant backcourt and an offense that has leaned heavily on the 3-pointer.
A matchup of the NBA’s top offenses
The Lakers and Blazers enter Tuesday as the NBA’s two highest-scoring teams.
L.A. leads the league at 128 points per game, while Portland ranks second at 126. The teams hold the same positions in offensive rating, with the Lakers rated No. 1 at 125.9 points and the Blazers at 123.
It's a small sample, but Portland has also made an early impression defensively. The Blazers rank third with a 100.5 defensive rating, giving them a chance to test a Lakers offense that has scored at least 125 points in each of its first three games.
For L.A., the challenge will be finding stops against a Portland team willing to shoot from the perimeter. The Blazers lead the NBA with 47.5 3-point attempts per game, making communication and closeouts especially important.
The Lakers showed how quickly an opponent can build a lead Sunday, when Utah scored 47 first-quarter points. They found enough offense to come back, but a more disciplined start could help them avoid another climb against Portland.
Containing Ja Morant and Damian Lillard
The Lakers will get their first look at Portland’s new backcourt pairing of Ja Morant and Damian Lillard, two guards who can put pressure on a defense in different ways.
Through two games, Lillard is averaging 22 points while shooting 40% from 3. Morant is averaging 13 points on 52.4% shooting from the field.
Morant’s speed and ability to attack the basket, while Lillard’s range and elite scoring, require a lot of attention. The Lakers will need a huge commitment from their wings and guards, especially Dončić and Austin Reaves.
Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams could be central to that effort, with help from Walker Kessler behind them at the rim.
How the Lakers balance protecting the paint with staying close to Portland’s shooters could shape the night.
Can Kessler bounce back?
Kessler returns home looking for a stronger offensive showing after a quiet first game against his former team.
The center finished with two points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes in Utah, attempting just two shots. He later acknowledged that he let his emotions get the best of him entering the game.
Kessler’s first two games with the Lakers showed how much he can contribute. The Lakers will need that production against Portland's seven-footers Donovan Clingan and Mark Williams III.
His presence will also matter inside, particularly when Morant and the Blazers' leading scorer, Deni Avdija (22 ppg), attack the paint
Against another unbeaten team, a more active performance at both ends could help them stay undefeated.