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LeBron James put up a herculean effort on both ends of the court as the LA Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 102-93. The Purple and Gold were buoyed by the return of Dennis Schroder as they snapped a four-game skid to hold on to the third seed in the Western Conference.
Damian Lillard had a 35-point outing but was largely missing in the second half and the Portland Trail Blazers were reduced to their fourth straight loss. He didn't have much help from his teammates as the LA Lakers ran away with the win.
LA Lakers dominate in the second half to return to winning ways
The LA Lakers were slow to start the game once again. Despite LeBron James going bonkers from the field, the Purple and Gold trailed by as many as 11 points in the first quarter itself. But they fought back after the break and went on an 18-4 run in the third quarter to establish a double-digit lead against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Frank Vogel's men maintained a considerable separation for the rest of the game and claimed their 23rd win of the season. LeBron James contributed in every aspect of the game as he finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks.
Dennis Schroder's return helped the LA Lakers a great deal. He struggled from the field but finished with 22 points. He also played scrappy defense to keep Lillard quiet in the second half.
Here's how Twitter reacted to the LA Lakers' win against the Portland Trail Blazers:
Portland Trail Blazers feeling the effects of a shorthanded roster
The Portland Trail Blazers looked good for the win following Damian Lillard's explosive start. Dame Dolla had 24 points in the first half as the LA Lakers defenders scrambled in front of him. However, he failed to get going after the break and the rest of the team just didn't show up.
Gary Trent Jr. was the next best player for the Portland Trail Blazers as he scored 19 but just went 2-of-11 from down. Their bench was in shambles and scored just 13 points in total. Montrezl Harrell from the LA Lakers outscored them alone.
The absence of CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic is finally starting to hurt the Blazers. Here's how fans reacted to their performance against the LA Lakers:
