Lillard Leads Trail Blazers To A Dominant Win Over Lakers
Damian Lillard had 25 points and six assists in the Portland Trail Blazers win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, with a final score of 105-90.
Lillard scored the first points of the game, a 3-pointer of his totaled six 3-pointers by the end of the game. The Trail Blazers (5-5) began their full game lead with a 15-0 run in the first, credited to intense offensive and defensive plays by the team; notably Robert Covington and Norman Powell.
Lillard ended the game with 25 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists. “It felt great to see the ball go in early, you know, to see my first few go in. I think any scorer, any shooter loves that feeling”, Lillard stated post-game when talking about not being concerned about his shooting this season.
Jusuf Nurkić led the team in rebounds with 17 total, also finishing with 15 points, one assist, and three steals. Nurkić delivered offensively, being responsible for multiple tip-ins on second-chance points.
Although trailing all four quarters, the Lakers (5-5) closed a game-high 34-point gap to 15 points by the final buzzer. The Lakers' leaders were Malik Monk with 13 points, Carmelo Anthony with 12 points in his first Moda Center return, and DeAndre Jordan with nine rebounds.
Adding to the Lakers’ loss was LeBron James being out due to an abdominal strain, Anthony Davis missing the remainder of the game after playing 7:09 for stomach illness, and Russell Westbrook shooting 1-for-13 from the field and 1-for-3 from behind the arc. Westbrook ended the game with eight points, nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
Both benches got a chance to score tonight with the Lakers’ highest scorers coming off the bench. In addition to Monk and Anthony, Dwight Howard had 11 points and six rebounds, along with Austin Reaves and Sekou Doumbouya scoring 10 points each.
Portland’s bench was supported by Anfernee Simons with 10 points, five rebounds, and 4 assists to include some flashy lay-ins through the Lakers’ defense. Other notable Trail Blazers were Larry Nance Jr. with four points and four rebounds and Nassir Little with eight points and five rebounds.
Five Trail Blazers ended the game in double digits as they handed the Lakers their second loss on the road this season. Portland moves to 5-1 at home while the Lakers are now 1-2 on the road.
Both teams will be in Los Angeles next week as the Lakers head home to face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, November 8 while the Trail Blazers aim to lead the current 1-1 season series with the LA Clippers on Tuesday, November 9.
