The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 136-129 to remain one of four unbeaten NBA teams and face the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.
The Story
The Portland Trail Blazers remained one of the NBA’s unbeaten teams after beating the Los Angeles Lakers 136-129 in their most recent game.
Portland handed Los Angeles its first loss of the season, and the win marked the first game of a four-game regular-season series between the teams. The Blazers overcame a 73-68 halftime deficit, outscoring the Lakers in the second half with a 68-point effort.
Deni Avdija and Ja Morant led Portland’s offence with 23 points apiece. Avdija added four rebounds and a team-high nine assists, while Morant shot 69.2 per cent from the field. Damian Lillard scored 21 points and made four of eight 3-point attempts, and Jrue Holiday contributed 22 points and three assists off the bench.
With Portland positioned as one of four teams still unbeaten to start the season, the Blazers’ undefeated run will be tested again on Thursday when they play the Memphis Grizzlies.
Memphis has also started strongly, entering the matchup with a 4-0 record through the first week of the season. Ty Jerome, who has been the focus of Memphis’ offence, is averaging 29.8 points per game and is ranked third in the NBA in that category.
For Portland, the source expects the backcourt group of Morant, Lillard, Holiday and Scoot Henderson to generate scoring opportunities against Memphis, which is listed as the NBA’s 26th-ranked defence. Rookie Cameron Boozer is also expected to play a key role for the Grizzlies; he has averaged 14.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in his first four games despite inefficient shooting.
The matchup also features a return for Morant, who will face the team that drafted him for the first time in his career. Portland acquired Morant during the offseason, and through three games he is averaging 16.3 points and 6.3 assists, including his first 20-point performance of the season.
← More stories