The Portland Trail Blazers started their stretch run by playing the Los Angeles Lakers to a standstill in the fourth quarter. Without Luka Doncic, the Lakers took a big first-half lead, but couldn’t hold it against a frenzied Blazers effort. The frenzy wasn’t enough, though; the mid Lakers did just enough to hold off Portland off in the final minutes, winning 110-102. Let’s dig in.
Blazer of the Game: Deni Avdija. Nicely rested, he led the way with aggression at both ends, which the Lakers struggled to handle. He had 28 points with 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.