The Lakers are on their way north to the Pacific Northwest to take on Portland. This is the second night of a back-to-back for LA as they played their makeup game against the Hornets yesterday. That game resulted in the Lakers taking a 3-point L, but tonight could be different against a young, banged-up Portland team.
Scoot Henderson Questionable
Robert Williams III Questionable
Jerami Grant Questionable
Matisse Thybulle Out
Deandre Ayton Out
Maxi Kleber Out
Will this be a bounce-back game for the Lakers? Hard to say. They struggled against Charlotte yesterday, as the Luka LeBron combo still needs some work. LeBron ended up taking the majority of the workload as Luka shot an abysmal 5-18 from the field. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges were able to chew up the Laker's defense, too. It’s clear that JJ Redick will need more time with this group to iron out the pain points.
Taking on the Trail Blazers in Portland tonight, they’ll have to figure things out quickly. Portland has been a shockingly strong defensive team this year. Toumani Camara has become one of the most important pieces on the team as an elite point-of-attack defender. Pair him with Deni Avdija; you can see how Portland has won some games this year.
This is still very much a tanking team, but in a game like this, with Henderson, Williams, and Grant possibly rejoining the team, they could steal the game. They’ll have the depth, size, and defense to outclass the Lakers. Portland's only worry is the star potential of this Lakers roster. Both LeBron and Luka can put it on almost anyone. If they catch fire and attack some weak defenders like Simons or Sharpe, they could bury Portland single-handedly.
However, this still looks like a game that Portland can win. Portland will have the advantage at the center with Donovan Clingan and potential Robert Williams, which could suffocate the Laker's interior offense. Along with the wings, this could be a challenging nut to crack in PDX. Especially with the Lakers stumbling last night, the Blazers likely smell blood in the water.
Money line: LAL (-155) / POR (+130)
Total Points: 227
Spread: -3 LAL (-115) / +3 POR (-105)
The Lakers just dropped a game at home to the Hornets. It was a close game, but there are still some growing pains going on in LA. Going against a physical, and aggressive Blazer team, the Lakers might struggle to complete. Unless LeBron or Luka go off offensively, Portland feels like solid value tonight.
With Portland’s solid defense and the Laker offense’s awkwardness, this feels like a low-scoring game. They didn’t even score over 200 points last night against the Hornets, so the under feels very strong tonight.
Even though Portland has lost their last two matchups against the Lakers, this one will be close. As long as the bench is able to put up some points, and Portland can avoid excessive turnovers, a three-point game is very reasonable.
Considering the state of the Laker’s defense without AD, Camara could be in for a good scoring night. Averaging 13 points over the prior two matchups against the Lakers, Camara should have plenty of open lanes to attack the rim tonight. If he’s able to land a three or two, 12 points looks very doable.
Luka is still figuring out his role on this team He’s yet to score 20 points in a Lakers uniform. Considering he’ll have one of the best point-of-attack defenders on him in Toumani Camara, he’ll likely struggle.
With Ayton out, Clingan has seen his minutes skyrocket. He’s been playing over 25 min per game, and with his rebounding ability, he can easily grab 12 rebounds. Especially with the centers on LA being Alex Len and Jaxson Hayes, Clingan could be in for another 20-rebound night.
LeBron has been a terrific playmaker this year, but Portland has a feisty defense. I expect LeBron to take it at this young team a ton tonight. He might cash in on a few assists when the Portland help defense comes, but I think he’ll be more focused on getting his own points tonight.