Lakers Trap Blazers into Bad Home Loss

SB Nation

The Portland Trail Blazers could not keep up with a shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers team in a 123-115 loss on Monday night. Portland started the game with a nine-point lead after the first quarter but faltered

the rest of the game and were unable to survive a late onslaught that pushed the game out of reach.

The Blazers were led in scoring by Deni Avdija’s 33 point performance and by Shaedon Sharpe’s 23 points.

The Lakers were without LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves in the contest. However, they saw some major contributions from Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura and Nick Smith. That trio finished the game with 29 points, 28 points and 25 points respectively.

Here are some key takeaways from the game.

Efficiency Battle

The Blazers were unable to find the bottom of the basket from three-point range. They made just 9 of their 40 attempts from behind the arc, compared to the 9-23 that the Lakers shot. Los Angeles also made a living inside the arc, shooting 59% from the field in the game. This discrepancy in shot-making put Portland at a major disadvantage throughout the game. It was easy for the Lakers to build a lead and it proved impossible to come back for the Blazers as they missed three after three late in the game.

However, despite the poor shooting overall, Portland was able to stay close throughout the game due to…

Getting Out And Running

Once again, the bread and butter of the Blazers’ offense proved to be their ability to run the court. They scored 20 fastbreak points and had 28 points off of turnovers. The NBA’s best team at getting steals added 13 to their season total tonight, forcing 17 turnovers overall. This way of getting points has helped Portland survive some rough shooting night so far this season, but there are limits. Tonight it wasn’t enough to keep up with Los Angeles’ shooting numbers.

Dominayton

Deandre Ayton had a strong revenge performance in his first game back in Portland after being bought out in the offseason. He finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the contest while shooting 14-19 from the field. He looked engaged and played like he had something to prove.

Deni Avdija

Avdija led the Blazers in scoring with 33 points, a season-high for him. He was one of the only Portland players who could provide offense during the cold stretches. Avdija got to the free throw line at will. He showcased an impressive ability to run the offense and help command the defense at the top of the key. This defensive aggressiveness helped the Blazers force a couple turnovers early in Lakers possessions and get easy layups on the other end.

Trap Game

Facing a Los Angeles team missing their three top players on the second night of a back-to-back and on the road, this should have been one of the easiest games of Portland’s season. That kind of mindset can lead to a team getting surprised, just as the Blazers did tonight. The Blazers looked sluggish at times, had bad turnovers, and struggled offensively for large stretches. Portland got trapped tonight. They got outplayed by the Lakers despite all the factors in their favor.