Blazers pull away behind defensive pressure
The Portland Trail Blazers seized control in the second half to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 122-108 on Monday night, securing their first road win of the season in the wake of a back-to-back schedule. The result came as Portland leaned on a balanced attack and relentless defense to pull away after a tight first half.
Newly prominent contributors for Portland included Jerami Grant, who came off the bench to score 22 points, and Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan, who both added 16. Deni Avdija contributed 25 points while Jrue Holiday added 24 points and six assists, helping fuel a Portland attack that never allowed the Lakers to dictate terms late in the game.
Reaves shines in limited supporting cast
Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves delivered a career-high-like scoring night, pouring in 41 points as he carried the offense with a sparse supporting cast around him. With injuries thinning the Lakers’ backcourt and lineup, Reaves was the focal point of the offense, providing the primary scoring punch and playmaking. Despite his efforts, the rest of the roster struggled to complement him, and the Lakers couldn’t sustain momentum when the Blazers pressed in the third and fourth quarters.
Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton each finished with 16 points, while Jarred Vanderbilt chipped in 14. With two of their best players—Luka Doncic and LeBron James—out and a few others unavailable, Los Angeles leaned on Reaves as the lone experienced ball handler to spark the offense. The absence of veteran leadership and ball-handling depth showed at multiple junctures, especially against Portland’s aggressive defensive plans.
Portland’s defense and turnover surge
The defining factor in the game was Portland’s ability to generate 25 turnovers from the Lakers, turning defensive pressure into multiple transition opportunities. The Blazers converted those opportunities into points, steadily widening their margin as the night wore on. In a league where possessions decide outcomes, Portland’s willingness to impose its pace and apply ball-pressure paid dividends against a Lakers team missing key guards.
Portland’s defense also dictated the flow of the game by forcing misses and contested shots, limiting any sustained late push from Los Angeles. The Blazers’ compact rotation and willingness to switch on defense created some confusing sequences for the Lakers, who had to improvise with a thinner roster than usual. The result was a game in which Portland controlled the tempo and the psychological edge late in the third and through the fourth period.
Stat lines that tell the story
Avdija’s 25 points provided a critical balance to Portland’s scoring assault, while Holiday’s 24 and Grant’s 22 off the bench offered the type of depth that can carry teams through stretches when the game slows down. Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan each delivered 16, underscoring Portland’s multiple avenues to offense. For the Lakers, the night underscored a broader issue: without full personnel punch, even a superstar-filled night from Reaves could not anchor the comeback.
What’s next
Trail Blazers: The team heads to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, continuing a three-game road trip. Portland will look to maintain the defensive intensity and rhythm they found in this win as they chase more consistency away from home.
Lakers: Los Angeles visits Minneapolis to take on the Timberwolves on Wednesday. With a compressed schedule and a growing need for additional playmaking support around Reaves, the Lakers will aim to reassemble their rotation and rediscover balance on both ends of the floor.
Final score: Portland 122, Los Angeles 108. Trail Blazers improve to 1-1 on the road trip while the Lakers drop to a short-handed slide before a Wednesday matchup.
