Dame Time came to Los Angeles as Trail Blazers hand Lakers first loss of season

LOS ANGELES — Dame Time is back.

“Pretty much every time he shoots, I think it’s good,” Ja Morant said. “So I’m pretty much bracing for a celebration every time he shoots — but in the fourth quarter, I’m for sure doing it.”

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“I just lived for those opportunities, you know,” Lillard said. “Especially knowing I didn’t shoot the ball well (he was 5-of-12), I just loved the opportunity to still be able to do it.”

Morant, Lillard and the rest of an athletic, entertaining Portland team can celebrate a 136-129 win over the Lakers that improves the Trail Blazers to 3-0 on the season. This loss was the Lakers’ first of the young season.

In a game with a plethora of 3s — the teams combined for 79 attempts — and nearly as many free throws (71), Portland’s attack earned them the win. Four Trail Blazers scored more than 20 points: Morant (23), Lillard (21), Deni Avdija (23) and Jrue Holiday enjoyed some home cooking and scored 22 off the bench.

Luka Doncic put up 41 points and had nine assists, while Austin Reaves had 26 points and seven dimes.

These teams were mirror images of each other in some ways — high-powered offenses that attack the rim, and that rely on a big man dropping deep (Walker Kessler and Donovan Clingan) to protect the rim. That defense didn’t work for either side in this one, as the Trail Blazers shot 59% on the night — and hit 18-of-36 from beyond the arc — while the Lakers shot 56.3%.

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The offenses were firing from the opening tip — the Lakers started game 7-of-8 from the floor. The Trail Blazers shot 71.4% in the first quarter, while the Lakers shot 65%.

How much offense was there in the first half? The Lakers led 72-67 at the break. The Trail Blazers shot 69.7% from the floor and still trailed. The Lakers had a 144 offensive rating, while the Trail Blazers were “only” at 136.7.

That scoring never stopped, but Portland’s depth was the one separator in this game. The Trail Blazers had 48 points off the bench, led by Holiday, but Robert Williams III added 14 points, 10 rebounds and some quality rim protection when it mattered.

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dame-time-came-los-angeles-071058414.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-28 07:10:00

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