It was going good on the road for the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday night against the Los Angeles Lakers ... until it wasn’t. Propelled by a huge second quarter, the LeBron James-less Lakers shut down a good first quarter from Portland to take firm control of the game the rest of the way.
After leading by 14 at half, the Lakers fought off a few small Portland charges before dominating in the fourth quarter to win, 107-98. The final score was closer than it seemed, as the Lakers led by as many as 20 late in the fourth quarter.
In LeBron’s place, Anthony Davis was huge with 30 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. D’Angelo Russell added extra firepower with 28 points and 14 assists.
That was more than enough to overtake the Blazers, who only fielded one player who scored over 20 points. Jerami Grant went 1-12 for three points.
Blazer of the Game: Shaedon Sharpe. The third-year guard was noticeably aggressive from the tip in LA, as he initiated the action on offense and looked to attack the defense when he had the ball. He was most effective in the first half, as he probed screens for midrange jumpers. The Analytics Revolution don’t love that shot, but it was the most available with Davis patrolling the paint, and it was good to see Sharpe not settle for a few dribbles and a step-back 3. He finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists on 7-15 shooting.
Stat of the Night: 37-17. The Blazers led 28-22 after the first quarter and looked primed to bounce back after the embarrassment against Utah. Then LA outscored Portland, 37-17, in the second quarter and the vibes completely swung the other way. That big second quarter for LA was sparked by a 15-0 run that came while Davis was on the bench.
What We’ll Remember: The Shift. As mentioned above, the Blazers were looking good and active to start the game. Then as LA landed that second-quarter punch, it all seemed to go downhill from an energy and scoreboard perspective. Special shoutout in this category for Scoot Henderson banking in a near-full-court heave at the third-quarter buzzer, which will at least live on in Blazers highlight reels for the rest of the season.
Box Score
What’s Next: Four days of rest. The Blazers get a nice stretch of rest before facing the San Antonio Spurs at the Moda Center on Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Pacific.