Without LeBron James on Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t exactly play well, especially given the fact they were going up against a struggling and very short-handed Portland Trail Blazers. But they need wins in the worst way right now, and they got one to improve their record to 5-5 on the season.
The Lakers held their first lead at the end of the first quarter this season at 31-28. They fell behind by eight early in the second quarter, but they rallied to come to within one point at halftime. A 25-9 run in the third period finally gave them some separation, but Portland kept fighting back and trimming its deficit. Luckily, L.A. was able to make just enough plays down the stretch to come up with a 116-110 victory.
There are still reasons to be concerned when it comes to the areas that have been problems for the Lakers this season. They shot just 4-of-19 from 3-point range while allowing the Blazers to go 13-of-37 from that distance. In addition, Los Angeles only outrebounded the Blazers by three and was outscored 24-15 in fast-break points. Overall, it perhaps looked a little complacent against a team it should’ve defeated by a wider margin.
However, a win is a win, and the Lakers can now go over .500 on Tuesday against the Memphis Grizzlies, another banged-up squad that has been struggling.
Anthony Davis: A
Davis’ impact wasn’t quite as “loud” as it often is, but he still got his. He scored 30 points on 10-of-20 shooting and 10-of-12 from the free throw line, to go along with 13 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.
He made a big turnaround jumper with 1:57 left to put the Lakers up by four, and moments later, he found Rui Hachimura under the basket for a layup out of the low post to give them some insurance.
After a subpar performance on Friday days after he sustained a tweaked adductor, perhaps Davis is back to his normal self.
Rui Hachimura: A
Hachimura moved into the starting lineup with James unable to play with a left calf contusion. He scored 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting while also contributing six rebounds, two assists and two steals, and he was fairly aggressive offensively, especially in iso situations.
Taurean Prince: B
Prince shot 5-of-9 from the field, and he forced a key turnover and turned it into a transition layup late in the fourth quarter to put L.A. up by five points. He finished with 11 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal.
However, he was 0-of-3 from downtown. He has been very inconsistent with his 3-point shooting, and that is something that he must improve.
Cam Reddish: A
Reddish started for the second straight game, and he did very well again. Perhaps buoyed by his strong game on Friday, he got off to a strong start in this one. He hit an early 3-pointer off an assist from Austin Reaves, and late in the quarter, he got a defensive rebound and took it the length of the floor on the fast break for a layup that turned into a three-point play.
Overall, he did a great job of attacking the basket off the dribble, and defensively, he continued to show excellent activity, as he came up with three steals and one blocked shot.
The former lottery pick scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and he also grabbed seven rebounds. Perhaps he’s starting to find his niche on this Lakers team.
D'Angelo Russell: B-
Russell struggled offensively in the first half, and although he made his first two shot attempts of the third quarter, he never consistently found the range. He shot only 5-of-14 overall and missed all three of his attempts from deep, keeping him to just 11 points.
But he did an excellent job of distributing the ball to his teammates. He dished off 11 assists and committed only one turnover, and he also chipped in by getting five rebounds.
Russell is clearly a player who can help his team win even when he isn’t shooting the ball well, and this game was another piece of evidence.
Austin Reaves: A
Coming off the bench again as he did in Friday’s win over the Phoenix Suns, Reaves again gave L.A.’s second unit a spark. He scored an efficient 18 points and had four assists in 28 minutes, and he easily could’ve had a few more dimes had his teammates converted attempts at the rim off of his passes.
By hitting 2-of-4 from 3-point land, he was the only Laker who was effective from that distance on Sunday.
Christian Wood: C
Wood shot just 1-of-4 from the field, and although he got to the free throw line quite a bit and converted 5-of-7 attempts there, he simply hasn’t been assertive enough lately. This was the fourth time in five games he failed to reach double figures in scoring, and it was the third straight game he had five or fewer shot attempts.
One would’ve thought that with James out, this would’ve been a game in which Wood would’ve feasted. Not only was he relatively quiet offensively, but he also got just one rebound in 15 minutes.
Max Christie: C
After not getting on the court on Friday, Christie played 13 minutes, and while he missed his only field-goal attempt, he got three rebounds and came up with a steal.
Sooner than later, the Lakers need Christie to start hitting shots on a consistent basis. However, they can always count on him to bring effort defensively and on the boards.
Jaxson Hayes: C-minus
Hayes played just seven minutes, partly because he picked up three quick fouls early in the second quarter. He shot 1-of-4 from the field and missed both of his foul shot attempts, and his only other positive contribution was one assist.
