The Portland Trail Blazers lost on the road to the Los Angeles Lakers with a final score of 107-98. Portland has now lost four consecutive games, dropping to 8-16 on the season.
Early on, this seemed like a game the Blazers could steal with the Lakers down two key starters in LeBron James and Austin Reaves. The Blazers were up at the end of the first quarter, 28-22. But two familiar problems that have been haunting them all season resurfaced—three-point shooting and turnovers.
The Blazers lost the three-point battle 25.0 percent to the Lakers' 38.2 percent. They also had 17 turnovers compared to LA's 11—not an ideal recipe for success. Entering the game, Portland was shooting 30.6 percent from beyond the arc in losses and 39.6 percent in wins, a problematic trend that will only become more amplified and evident after this loss.
All eyes were on Deandre Ayton in this matchup after head coach Chauncey Billups called him out for his lack of spirit in their blowout to the Jazz, where Ayton only played two minutes in the entire second half. He answered the call to the tune of 14 points and 19 rebounds.
With Ayton, it wasn't just a stat thing, as his body language and energy also looked much better. The Blazers needed this version of "DominAyton" with Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, and Duop Reath all out with injuries, especially going up against one of the best big men in the league in Anthony Davis.
Jerami Grant's disappointing 2024-25 season continues. He tied Toumani Camara with the worst plus-minus on the team at -18, and his shooting woes were a major reason why. Despite playing 32 minutes, Grant finished with just three points, shooting 1-12 from the field and 1-7 from three.
It's especially important that Grant plays at a high level between now and the trade deadline. The Blazers need to boost his trade value since it could be challenging to find a deal for him given his contract and the CBA's new tax apron restrictions. Unfortunately for the Blazers, that hasn't been the case, with this latest dud being just the most recent example.
Shaedon Sharpe was much more aggressive in this matchup than he has been in the past few games, leading the Blazers with 19 points on 7-15 shooting from the field.
Sharpe was 2-6 from deep. His three-point shot hasn't been falling as consistently as the Blazers would have liked this season, at just 28 percent. Still, he's figuring out other ways to be impactful offensively, between his playmaking, getting to the charity stripe, and, most notably, picking his spots in the midrange. Sharpe has been a much-needed bright spot in Portland's lackluster offense, scoring under 100 points in two straight games.
Anfernee Simons was essentially a non-factor in this matchup. There were times when you forgot he was even on the court, which is strange, considering he's supposed to be the Blazers' primary offensive initiator.
Simons finished with 14 points and four assists on 5-13 shooting from the field and 1-6 from beyond the arc. With his three not falling, Simons tried attacking the paint, but the Lakers' rim protection—specifically Anthony Davis, who had five blocks—made life difficult for the 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard.
Unfortunately, Simons' inconsistency in play has been an issue for Portland this season. It seems he's constantly having games on either end of the spectrum, leading to multiple appearances on the studs and duds lists for better or worse.
Three-point shooting has played a significant role in that. Typically amongst one of the best shooters in the league, Simons is now connecting from deep at a 32.9 percent rate, significantly lower than his 38.2 career percent.