Luka Dončić leads an undefeated Los Angeles Lakers team into a Tuesday-night home matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers after scoring 52 points in a comeback win over the Utah Jazz.
The Story
Los Angeles will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night with Dončić carrying an unbeaten start following his 52-point performance in a 132-123 road win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday. Dončić scored 52 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds and helped the Lakers rally from an 18-point first-half deficit, going 17-for-30 from the field and making 8 of 18 attempts from 3-point range.
Dončić, a six-time All-Star, also enters the matchup averaging 34.3 points, 8.0 assists and 7.3 rebounds through three games. He has posted his 10th career regular-season 50-point outing and recently added that the team “showed a lot of character, a lot of heart” after falling behind and staying engaged through the comeback.
The Trail Blazers have opened the season with a strong start, rebounding after an early 124-83 loss to Phoenix to win their next two games. Portland beat the host Sacramento Kings 128-120 on Friday after trailing throughout the first half, then began their run by scoring the first 21 points against the Suns in its first win. Deni Avdija led Portland with 26 points versus Sacramento, while Damian Lillard and Toumani Camara added 19 apiece; Ja Morant scored 12 and Portland received contributions from several reserves, including Sidy Cissoko (15), Robert Williams III (13) and Jrue Holiday (12).
Portland coach Micah Nori said the win showed the importance of depth, noting that seven players scored in double digits even though the team made 29.2% of its 3-pointers. He also pointed to getting to the free-throw line 30 times and limiting turnovers, while noting the Trail Blazers went 2-1 against the Lakers last season, though Dončić missed all three meetings due to injuries.
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