The Lakers built an 11-point lead with a 13-0 run that bridged halftime, then gave up 34 points in the fourth quarter of a 136-129 home loss to unbeaten Portland. Doncic scored 41, but Damian Lillard, Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday controlled the end of the game.
The Lead That Melted
Down 68-66 late in the second quarter, Los Angeles reeled off 13 straight points to lead 79-68 early in the third. The lead didn't last. The Lakers carried a 103-102 edge into the fourth, and the game swung through 11 lead changes and 10 ties, the last at 121 with 3:49 left. Lillard scored 10 in the fourth, Avdija 9 and Holiday 6, while Ziaire Williams led the Lakers' fourth with 7. The Lakers still had a chance at the end. With 25 seconds left and Portland up 135-129, Avdija missed both free throws and Walker Kessler grabbed the rebound. Two seconds later Matisse Thybulle lost the ball out of bounds, and his three at 0:11 missed. ESPN's Ben Golliver reported that Ja Morant will appeal after three flopping technicals were called at the end.
Grading the Leading Men
Doncic gets an A-minus: 41 on 12-of-22, 11-of-13 at the line, nine assists against two turnovers. Austin Reaves earns a B-plus for 26 on 8-of-13 with seven assists and no turnovers in 39 minutes. He finished even, though, and his two fouls in the last 25 seconds sent Portland to the line. Sandro Mamukelashvili, a B-plus, closed the game on merit with 17 on 6-of-9, 3-of-4 from deep and a +6. Kessler rates a C. He had 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, but he went 1-of-4 at the line and turned it over four times. The worst numbers came off the bench. Thybulle was -12 in 22 minutes, Jake LaRavia and Quentin Grimes were -10 each, and Collin Sexton shot 4-of-11 and 0-of-5 from three. Holiday and Robert Williams III scored 36 off Portland's bench. The Lakers' entire bench scored 33.
Crosstown, Again
The loss drops the Lakers to 3-1 and fifth in the West, and the schedule gives them no time to dwell on it. They play at the Clippers tonight. The Clippers are 1-2, have lost two straight and come in with three days of rest. The Lakers beat them 125-117 on Oct. 23. The Clippers list Rui Hachimura, Brandon Ingram, Bradley Beal and Max Strus among six players out, and Darius Garland is averaging 24.0 points. The Lakers visit Golden State on Oct. 30 in the Emirates NBA Cup. The defense, rated 117.6 so far, is the issue. The Los Angeles Times reported that the Lakers stressed the need to defend like a championship team. Lakers Nation reported that Kessler took responsibility for the defensive struggles and that JJ Redick said the defense got "broken down."
How did the Lakers lose to the Trail Blazers?
Los Angeles led by as many as 11 and was up 103-102 after three quarters, but Portland won the fourth 34-26 for a 136-129 win. A late Thybulle turnover and a missed three ended the Lakers' final chance.
When do the Lakers play next?
The Lakers play at the Clippers tonight, Oct. 28, and then visit the Warriors on Oct. 30 in the Emirates NBA Cup.
