On Sunday, a very shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers squad mounted a spirited effort on the road against ex-LA point guards Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook and the rest of the (admittedly mismatched) Sacramento Kings, ultimately surviving, 127-120, thanks to a 51-point, 11-rebound, nine-assist Austin Reaves masterpiece and Deandre Ayton’s best game yet with Los Angeles.
The Lakers were without All-Stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic, who’ll be on the shelf again on Monday, when LA squares off against the Portland Trail Blazers for the second night of a back-to-back set of bouts.
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Sacramento was a far less formidable foe than this rising Portland squad, even if it has lost head coach Chauncey Billups to an FBI indictment for the indefinite future. The Trail Blazers are far more cohesive in their construction than the Kings, and are an athletic, defensive juggernaut where Sacramento is anything but.
Can Los Angeles survive Portland? Here are our expert predictions.
Ricardo Sandoval: Tonight’s matchup for Reaves and the Lakers will be a lot tougher. The Blazers’ defense has the potential to rank among the top 15 this season, and it features elite perimeter defenders like Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, and Matisse Thybulle. I don’t expect Reaves to drop 50+, but if he can be just as efficient and involve his teammates, that should be good enough to collect the win.
Alex Kirschenbaum: It’s unfair to expect the 6-foot-5 Oklahoma product to replicate his personal-best output from Sunday, especially with no rest. Reaves has been red-hot this year, and will have plenty of opportunities to score as LA’s primary ballhandler sans James or Doncic. Look for him to at least chip in another 30 points or so, albeit on weaker efficiency while pitted against six-time All-Defensive Team guard Jrue Holiday.
Alex Kirschenbaum: Ayton has developed by leaps and bounds across each of his first three regular season games as a Laker. I’m not sure if he’ll get 22 and 15 again, especially on the second night of a back-to-back. But he’ll have another solid night, logging a double-double while staying dialed-in against Clingan.
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Ricardo Sandoval: I fully expect Ayton to pick up right where he left off Sunday and show the Blazers and the NBA that he is on a revenge tour. Ayton will rise to the occasion and do his part to lead LA to the win.
Ricardo Sandoval: Tonight’s game will be tough. The positive is that the Blazers are also on the second night of a back-to-back. With that being said, I expect the Lakers, who are the better team even without their two best players, to win this game and move to 3-1 in the season.Lakers 108, Blazers 103.
Alex Kirschenbaum: The Lakers’ health issues will catch up with them against a superior team, gambling drama or no. Trail Blazers 108, Lakers 100.
For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
