LeBron James, Lakers Take Care of Trail Blazers,

The Portland Trail Blazers’ late comeback attempt came up short against the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. With less than 10 minutes remaining, Portland cut a 15-point deficit to as little as three in the final minutes on the road, but LeBron James and company held off the Blazers for the 114-106 win.

Before that fourth-quarter surge, the Lakers pulled ahead and stayed ahead for most of the game behind a second-quarter burst and far too much King James.

James finished with 38 points, eight assists and a 7-10 mark from 3-point range. Five Blazers scored in double-figures in the loss.

Blazer of the Night: Toumani Camara. The second-year forward brought his usual relentless energy to L.A. On defense, he drew three offensive foul calls and chased down a highlight-reel block on a fast break. On offense, he was efficient from 3-point range (2-4 shooting) and finished in the paint by making timely cuts and attacking closeouts. Camara ended the night with 18 points on 8-13 shooting, four rebounds and three assists. Honorable mention goes to Deni Avdija. He bounced back from his 10-turnover game against Philadelphia Monday to provide 19 points on 8-14 shooting, 10 rebounds and four assists.

Stat of the Night: 24-8. The Blazers gained some separation from the Lakers in the early going, leading 43-36 at the 7:59 mark in the second quarter. The Lakers then went on a 24-8 run to go into halftime with a 60-51 lead. The Blazers offense struggled mightily to execute during the stretch, turning the ball over four times. That included three turnovers by three different players on three consecutive possessions. Even when Portland didn’t turn it over, several passes weren’t crisp and got deflected out of bounds. If you want to look at what made the difference in the final outcome, look at those eight minutes to close the first half.

What We’ll Remember: James carrying a pedestrian Lakers team to a rather comfortable win. The Lakers without star center Anthony Davis are an uninspiring bunch that make proper competition for the 2024-25 Blazers. Still, they have LeBron, and he was in top form tonight. That was enough to overcome the young Blazers.

Box Score

What’s Next: Stop No. 2 on the five-game road trip. The Blazers head to Milwaukee for a Saturday meeting with Damian Lillard and the Bucks. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. Pacific.