The Los Angeles Lakers managed to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 110-116 in a closely-fought game. LeBron James didn’t play due to a calf injury, putting the burden of carrying the win to Anthony Davis, who didn’t disappoint. Fans were happy to see the Lakers return to .500 with this win.

Lakers fans celebrated winning tonight as all their major rivals took big losses.

Fans weren’t happy with the fact that the Lakers entered halftime without a lead, a story that’s haunted the Lakers in all 10 games this season.

Fans don’t care about going through a close game against a weak team like the Blazers because LeBron got to rest.

Taurean Prince’s hustle during the end of the game proved to fans that the team is motivated to play winning basketball.

Fans loved the impactful plays from Cam Reddish after a tough start to the season.

Anthony Davis received most of the plaudits for his dominant performance.

Some fans were concerned about how close the game was given the Blazers strength.

The Lakers were led by Anthony Davis, who put up 30 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. Austin Reaves gave the Lakers a valuable contribution off the bench and scored 18 points, the same as starter Cam Reddish who played a huge role in the win tonight. Rui Hachimura is returning to form as well, adding 19 points, while D’Angelo Russell dropped 11 assists to facilitate the win in LeBron’s absence.

The Blazers held multiple leads in the game, overcame a double-digit deficit, and cut it down to a one-point lead toward the end but it wasn’t enough. Jerami Grant had 23 points, while five other Blazers had double-digit outings including Shaedon Sharpe (19 points), Skylar Mays (15 points, 12 assists), Matisse Thybulle (14 points), Deandre Ayton (12 points), and Duop Reath (11 points).

The Lakers Are The Only Team In The NBA To Not Lead A Game At Half Time

Any win without LeBron is a big win for the Lakers, but the Trail Blazers are a team that the Lakers can handle more simply given their status as a rebuilding franchise. Even though they’ve had a good start to the season, the Blazers aren’t very competitive with two of their best players, Anfernee Simons and Malcolm Brogdon, out with injury. They led the Lakers by one point at halftime, continuing the Lakers’ streak of not entering any game this season with a lead at the half.

Their second-half execution seems to be more purposeful and makes them a threat, but the slow starts have to be addressed. There isn’t an inherent solution on the roster outside of the hope that good health leads to the team becoming stronger overall. They were without LeBron, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Gabe Vincent tonight, three players who are all expected to be major rotational pieces.

There are many positives from this game as well, especially because of Davis’ performance. He bounced back quickly from a groin injury and carried the team while LeBron got to take some much-needed rest. Hopefully, they can return above .500 with a win in an in-season tournament game against the Blazers next.

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