Lillard’s Superb Finish, Trail Blazers Win in LA Against the Lakers, 115-107

The NBA champions, Los Angeles Lakers, lost tonight at Staples Center to Portland Trail Blazers, 115-107. Fantastic Damian Lillard shot down the hosts with his superb performance in the second half, being unstoppable for various purple and gold guards.

Dame dropped 21 of his 31 points in the latter two periods, snapping the Lakers’ impressive 59-game winning streak once entering the finals quarter with a win.

“We’re just getting more comfortable with each other, and we’re bringing our energy,” Lillard said.

He scored 31 points, 21 in the second half, had five assists and threes and was 10-for-16 from the field. In the moments when he wasn’t able to score, Gary Trent Jr. took over, with the Trail Blazers back up guard dropping 28 points hitting seven threes in 11 shots. He was the X-factor in Portland’s win last night, and a weapon for Terry Stotts that nobody expected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UxMYYMZnsw

“I think it says a lot about him that he came out and had this type of performance. It speaks to how tough he is mentally and how locked in he is to this season,” Dame praised his teammate.

The game started badly for the guests, as the Lakers took an early 13-point lead, 20-7. The Blazers would respond with a 21-5 run early in the second, changing the situation on the floor upside down and heading for the break with a 58-54 lead.

The champs 15-0 run got them back in the drivers’ seat, with the purple and gold showing its true face, but midway through the fourth, Dame took over, and there was nothing the Lakers could do in this case.

“We just weren’t moving the ball that well,” Vogel said. “I’ve got to make sure I get (Davis) the ball in opportunities where he can be aggressive.”

AD had just 13 points last night and was without the rhythm. LAL big man had 14 shots and six hits, 10 boards with five assists, but without a notable impact on the offensive side of the court.

“I have to be more aggressive to start the game,” the Eyebrow stated.

LBJ had a team-high 29 points with 9 rebounds and 6 assists, 11-for-20 from the field. The newcomer Dennis Schroder was right behind with 24 points, four boards, and assists each. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 13 buckets, four threes.

⌚️ @Dame_Lillard scores 21 of his 31 PTS in the 2nd half to lift the @trailblazers in Los Angeles! #KiaTipOff20 pic.twitter.com/ze3XgssBhD

— NBA (@NBA) December 29, 2020

Among the Trail Blazers, CJ McCollum continued to play excellent, only this time he wasn’t focused on scoring but was more on setting up positions for his teammates. CJ had 20 points and 11 assists. Enes Kanter was superb off the bench with 12 points and 14 rebounds, keeping the balance under the glass, and providing an excellent backup for Jusuf Nurkic, who ended the night with 10 points and 12 boards.

The Trail Blazers are 2-1 now and have three more matches throughout the West Coast. Lillard and the guys stay in LA to meet the Clippers on Wednesday and, after that, have back-to-back games in San Francisco against the Golden State Warriors. Following this road trip, they head back home to await the Bulls and the Timberwolves.

As for the Lakers (2-2), their homestand is over, and the champs have two back-to-back matchups. The first one is against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday and Friday. After that, the purple and gold visit the Memphis Grizzlies for two contests on Sunday and Tuesday next week.