Trail Blazers Edge Lakers 136-129 in High-Scoring Battle of Unbeaten Teams
Portland moves to 3-0 as balanced scoring withstands Luka Doncic's 41-point effort for Los Angeles.
At a glance
- Portland defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 136-129 to improve to 3-0 on the season.
- Luka Doncic led all scorers with 41 points and nine assists in the Lakers' first loss.
- Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns also posted standout performances in Tuesday's NBA action.
The Portland Trail Blazers preserved their flawless start to the season on Tuesday night, edging the Los Angeles Lakers 136-129 in Los Angeles behind a balanced offensive onslaught.
Deni Avdija and Ja Morant paced the Trail Blazers with 23 points each, while Avdija also dished out nine assists. Jrue Holiday contributed 22 points off the bench, and Damian Lillard delivered 21 points, including a critical three-pointer in the final minute that sealed the victory. Robert Williams III tallied a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds as Portland improved to 3-0.
Portland demonstrated exceptional perimeter shooting, converting 18 of 36 attempts from beyond the arc and shooting 59 percent overall from the field. Avdija, Lillard, and Toumani Camara connected on four three-pointers apiece.
Los Angeles suffered its first defeat in four contests despite another prolific display from Luka Doncic, who scored 41 points and added nine assists following his 52-point outing against the Utah Jazz two days earlier. Austin Reaves supplied 26 points and seven assists for the Lakers, who converted 56.2 percent of their field-goal attempts.
After trailing 73-68 at halftime, Portland mounted a late comeback. With the Trail Blazers clinging to a 132-129 advantage inside the final minute, Lillard sank a decisive three-pointer with 43.1 seconds remaining. Missed three-point attempts by Doncic and Reaves on the subsequent possession sealed Los Angeles's fate.
Around the League
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Jayson Tatum sank a buzzer-beating jumper in overtime to propel the Boston Celtics to a 125-124 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Tatum finished with 40 points, including 18 made free throws, to counteract 27 points and 12 rebounds from Brooklyn's Michael Porter Jr.
At Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks avoided an 0-4 start by defeating the Detroit Pistons. Karl-Anthony Towns anchored the victory with 27 points and 20 rebounds, powering a 37-13 third-quarter surge to secure New York's first victory of the campaign.
In San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama recorded 29 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes as the Spurs routed the winless Sacramento Kings. Julian Champagnie added 26 points, hitting eight three-pointers in the first half to help San Antonio establish league season highs for points, assists, and three-pointers in a single half.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- What was the final score between the Trail Blazers and Lakers?
- The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 136-129.
- How many points did Luka Doncic score against Portland?
- Luka Doncic scored 41 points and dished out nine assists for the Lakers.
- How did the Boston Celtics win their game against the Brooklyn Nets?
- Jayson Tatum hit an elbow jumper as time expired in overtime to lift Boston to a 125-124 victory.
