Is it weird to play the same team 3 times in the first 14 games of the season? However you answer that question, it’s exactly what the Lakers are doing tonight when they face the Blazers. These teams split the first two games, both in Portland, with LA winning the most recent matchup just 11 days ago. That game saw the starters struggle, but the bench unit dominate and lead the team to a 114-110 victory.
Of course, that Lakers team isn’t the same as this one. One night after that win in the PDX, the Lakers came home and folded up shop against a Raptors group that systematically demolished them.