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The Portland Trail Blazers quickly clawed their way back into the game after trailing the LA Lakers by 13 points early on to eventually win 115-107. The Western Conference Finalists from two years ago have now won two consecutive games and looked good defensively for the first time this season.
Damian Lillard was the usual suspect for Portland Trail Blazers who shrugged off a slow start to finally find his rhythm. The Blazers were brilliant from downtown in general and made sixteen treys. The LA Lakers blew a third-quarter lead for the first time since April 2019 and have been reduced to 2-2 for the season.
Several players rose to the occasion for the Portland Trail Blazers while the LA Lakers were left looking for some answers. On that note, let us look at five hits and flops from this game.
#1 Hit: Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
Damian Lillard had two off nights to start the season and looked fairly out of touch in the first half against the LA Lakers. He turned it all around in the second half to eventually end the game with 31 points, 13 of which came in the third quarter.
Lillard went 62.5% from the field and his efforts included five makes from downtown. He picked the tempo of the Portland Trail Blazers with his teammates struggling after the break and led them to a crucial win against their conference rivals.
#2 Hit: LeBron James (LA Lakers)
This was the first game where LeBron James had to put his foot down and force the issue for the LA Lakers. Even though he did stamp his authority late in the game, it didn't turn out to be enough. King James had 13 of his side's 22 points in the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers.
LeBron James finished the night with 29 points off 55% shooting from the field. He also managed nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals to cap off the night.
Also read: NBA Power Rankings: Top 10 teams heading into Week 2 of 2020-21 season
#3 Flop: Anthony Davis (LA Lakers)
Anthony Davis was double-teamed throughout the night by Portland Trail Blazers in his return game for the LA Lakers after sitting out on Sunday. Robert Covington and Jusuf Nurkic primarily put the breaks on Davis who struggled for room.
AD had 10 rebounds and five assists but it was his scoring that let him down. He only managed 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting. He failed to make simple floaters and could only drain one basket in the fourth quarter with his side trailing against the Portland Trail Blazers.
#4 Hit: Gary Trent Jr. (Portland Trail Blazers)
Gary Trent Jr. was only averaging 5.5 points per game to start the season but he was the hottest guy from the field for the Portland Trail Blazers against the LA Lakers. Trent Jr. went off for 28 points on just 14 attempts from the field. This effort included seven made treys.
Trent Jr.'s main contribution came in the fourth quarter where he scored 11 points and didn't miss a single shot. He has a habit of blowing hot and cold but Trent Jr. did a fine job of making it count when it mattered the most.
#5 Flop: Kyle Kuzma (LA Lakers)
It's back to square-one for Kyle Kuzma who was arguably the worst player for the LA Lakers on the night. Just one day after having a brilliant 20-point outing against Minnesota, Kuzma failed to have the desired impact against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 2017 draftee looked out of ideas on offense and missed open looks in the fourth quarter. He only managed six points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field. Kuzma was good defensively but still finished the night with a plus-minus rating of -23.
Also read: NBA Power Ranking - 5 Rookies who impressed the most in Week 1
Guess the Lakers players!
