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The reigning champions, LA Lakers are hosting the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center tonight. This is the first time these two Western Conference teams are meeting since last season's first-round in the playoffs. The LA Lakers are coming off a landslide victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves and LeBron James and co. could get another win at their home court.
The LA Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers have been playoff rivals for a long time. The Trail Blazers won their last game against the Houston Rockets in an overtime thriller in which CJ McCollum dropped 44 points with 9 threes and 8 assists. This game will certainly be fun to watch as we will see two superstars LeBron James and Damian Lillard go head-to-head again.
Here is everything you need to know before the Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Lakers game tonight.
LA Lakers - Team News
The LA Lakers are entering this game with a 2-1 record after a monstrous 31-point victory over the Timberwolves. LeBron James was a rebound shy of a double-double and Kyle Kuzma stole the show, dropping 14 in the first quarter and going for 20 points along with 3 blocks.
LA Lakers' star forwards, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are questionable for tonight's game. Anthony Davis did not participate in their last game against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to issues with his right calf. Their backup guard Alex Caruso is listed as doubtful for tonight as well because of a strained hand.
Injured: None
Doubtful: Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Alex Caruso
Suspended: None
Portland Trail Blazers - Team News
While the LA Lakers will be playing the second of back-to-back games, the Portland Trail Blazers have had a day to rest. As mentioned earlier, the team is coming to an overtime victory over the Houston Rockets and they hope to carry that momentum to Los Angeles. This will be the Portland Trail Blazers' first road game of the season and they are heading into the game 1-1.
Carmelo Anthony hinted he was looking forward to the LA Lakers game as he would face his long-time friend LeBron James again. Unfortunately for Anthony, he could not travel to Los Angeles with the team due to the league's health and safety protocols. Casey Holdahl of the Trail Blazers' official site reported that Nassir Little won't play in the game against the LA Lakers. Also, Zach Collins has been out for weeks following an ankle injury and is expected to return in mid-January.
Injured: Zach Collins, Nassir Little
Unavailable due to COVID-19: Carmelo Anthony
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
At what time will Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Lakers tip-off?
USA: 28th December 2020, 10:00 PM ET
India: 29th December 2020, 8:30 AM IST
Where and How to watch the Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Lakers game?
USA: Spectrum SportsNet and NBC Sports Northwest (Local TV), NBA TV (National TV), ESPN LA 710/KWKW (S), and Rip City Radio 620 (Radio).
For fans of the NBA watching from around the world, they can use NBA League Pass.
Also Read: NBA Power Rankings: Predicting the top 5 centers going into the 2020-21 season
Guess the Lakers players!
