Trail Blazers defeat Lakers 136-129 as Lillard hits clutch three
Portland overcame Los Angeles 136-129, with Damian Lillard's late three-pointer sealing the win despite Luka Doncic's 41 points for the Lakers.
Portland Trail Blazers rallied to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 136-129 on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. The game remained close through three quarters, but a decisive three-pointer from Damian Lillard with 42.8 seconds left gave the Blazers a six-point advantage they held to the final buzzer.
The Blazers shot 59% from the field and 50% (18-for-36) from three-point range, while in the fourth quarter they hit 57.1% overall and 70% from beyond the arc, going seven-for-10 on three-point attempts. Lillard contributed 21 points, including 10 in the final period, and was three-for-four from three in the fourth. His teammates added significant scoring: Ja Morant posted 23 points on nine-for-13 shooting, Deni Avdija recorded 23 points and nine assists, and Jrue Holiday added 22 points off the bench.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic scored 41 points with nine assists and five rebounds, following a 52-point performance the previous night. Austin Reaves added 26 points, and Walker Kessler contributed 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. The Lakers committed 41 free-throw attempts, a factor highlighted by Reaves, who said,
"I mean, giving up 41 free throws, you got to defend without fouling. We did enough offensively to win the game. Defensively, we weren't good."
Lakers coach JJ Redick noted the high shooting efficiency of both teams, stating,
"It was also an incredible shot-making game. Let's also factor that in."
Technical fouls were called frequently, including four defensive three-second violations and three flopping calls. Ziaire Williams received a flopping technical with 4:36 left in the fourth quarter; he responded,
"If I was flopping, I'd be on the floor. But it is what it is. Nothing I can do about it now."
The loss marked the Lakers' first defeat of the season, dropping their record to 3-1 after being outscored 34-26 in the final quarter. Rookie guard Cameron Carr, recovering from an oblique strain, practiced with the G-League affiliate, with Redick noting his progress in conditioning and readiness for future play.