LOS ANGELES – Luka Dončić scored a season-high 53 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers erased a seven-point halftime deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118 Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Dončić added five rebounds and five assists in 38 minutes as the Lakers improved to 8-2 with their fourth consecutive win. The victory evened the Lakers’ NBA Cup record at 1-1 in West Group C. Austin Reaves finished with 25 points and four steals, while Walker Kessler had 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The win gave Los Angeles some payback after Portland handed the Lakers their first loss of the season on Oct. 27. This time, the Lakers survived a slow start and a rough night from 3-point range by creating extra possessions and taking care of the ball.
Dončić erupts for 53 points
Portland led 29-20 after the first quarter and carried a 60-53 advantage into halftime. Dončić kept the Lakers within reach while Portland made 10 of its first 19 attempts from behind the arc.
The game changed in the third quarter. Los Angeles outscored Portland 34-15, turning the seven-point halftime deficit into an 87-75 lead entering the fourth. The Lakers pushed the pace, attacked the offensive glass and made Portland pay for its turnovers.
Dončić finished 17-of-33 from the field, made five 3-pointers and went 14-of-18 at the free-throw line. After scoring 40 in Wednesday’s win over the Sacramento Kings, he has now reached 40 points in four straight games.
Portland made one final push with a 43-point fourth quarter, but the Lakers answered every run. Los Angeles closed the game at the free-throw line after Kessler finished an alley-oop from Dončić with 54 seconds remaining.
Lakers win the possession battle
The Lakers shot 45.2 percent from the field and only 29.7 percent from 3-point range. They still won because they collected 17 offensive rebounds, forced 24 Portland turnovers and finished with 15 steals.
Los Angeles committed just 11 turnovers. That 13-turnover difference helped offset Portland’s 19 made 3-pointers and 51.4 percent shooting.
Reaves went 8-of-22 from the field and made all eight of his free throws. Kessler finished 7-of-10 and grabbed four offensive rebounds. Jake LaRavia added seven points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Sandro Mamukelashvili scored seven points off the bench and finished plus-19.
Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard scored 22 points apiece for Portland. Avdija also had 11 assists and nine rebounds, but he committed eight turnovers. Toumani Camara added 18 points, and Donovan Clingan finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lakers are now 8-2 and have won four straight after their 136-129 loss to Portland last month. Their next NBA Cup group-play game is Friday, Nov. 20, against the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.
[…] end of the Lakers’ back-to-back because of lower-back tightness, one game after scoring 53 in an NBA Cup win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Reaves took over the offense and delivered when Detroit nearly erased a 26-point […]