Off to a 1-2 start to the 2025-26 NBA season, the Portland Trail Blazers might not exactly be appointment TV for basketball viewers. Despite the record, though, Portland has played a fast, tough style,
both uniting and delighting Blazers fans.
All of that is likely to come to an early-season head tonight as Portland faces the Los Angeles Lakers at 7:30 PM, Pacific time.
Though the opponent is glitzy, the game doesn’t mean that much in abstract terms. Situationally, though, it’s significant. Tonight’s run is going to say a lot about who the Trail Blazers are and whether they can parlay their energetic style into actual wins.
Tempo and energy are the keys to Portland’s attack. Without speed, they’re a good defensive team stuck in an impoverished offense, incapable of keeping their heads above water even if they’re swimming strong. We saw dazzling moments in their two losses, surges against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers that made you think the Blazers could be Western Conference contenders. In each case, the brilliance faded as the game aged. The fourth quarter doomed Portland against Minnesota, the second half against the Clips.
Tonight the Blazers play in the second night of a back-to-back. These situations are the ultimate test for teams like Portland. Keeping up pace for two nights in a row will be one of their major hurdles this season.
A couple of factors ease the treacherous pathway, though. First, tonight’s game is in Los Angeles, the same as last night’s. L.A. nightlife might prove a hidden curse, but no extra travel miles or hours will weigh on Portland this evening. Second, Lakers superstars LeBron James and Luka Doncic are out. L.A. isn’t toothless. Austin Reaves scored 51 last night for the purple and gold against the Sacramento Kings. But they don’t have their full array of offensive weapons. And obviously, this is the second night of a back-t0-back for the Lakers too.
Put all of this together and you have the easiest conceivable setup for the Blazers to succeed on the back end of consecutive games. If they can’t do it under these circumstances, when will they ever prosper in this kind of situation?
The win itself may not be critical. It’s 1 game in 82, just like any other. But the Blazers should be able to display young legs, abundant energy, and a sustained effort against the Lakers tonight. If they slow down or fade during the contest, that should be of serious concern to Portland fans. It’d be a sign that their new, up-tempo approach is not sustainable even initially, let alone through a full-season grind. There’s more at stake than meets the eye here, which is why this game is worth watching with special interest.
