Los Angeles Lakers Even the Series, Trash the Portland Trail Blazers, 111-88

The No.1 seed in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers, have defeated Portland Trail Blazers with 111-88, leveling the score in the series.

Still, the Trail Blazers’ blowout loss is not the worst thing that happened to them this evening, as their best player Damian Lillard suffered a dislocated index finger. The initial X-rays came back negative, and it is yet to be estimated how bad this situation is for one of the best players in the NBA. Dame was extremely frustrated following the injury and didn’t hide the anger.

“It’s just sore, a little bit tender to the touch… Swollen and uncomfortable,” said Lillard following the match, adding that he would appear in Game 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm6ACMNYxyE

All this happened with the Lakers being up 85-55 in the late part of the third quarter.

The LAL, meanwhile, trashed the Blazers since the first period. They would slowly create the advantage, making small, but constant runs. The first one came during the middle of the first period, once Los Angeles slightly went ahead. The first major push took place in the last few minutes of the second sequence, when purple and gold had a 12-2 burst, going up to 56-39.

The Lakers would smash the rivals in the third scoring 32 and allowing 19 points, sealing the game. After Lillard’s injury, Vogel and the boys slowed down a little bit.

“Just trying to forget Game 1. I know I shot the ball terribly. I won’t even say bad. … I’m a shooter, and shooters shoot. I came out with a mindset I’m going to knock down shots,” said Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who had 16 points, with four made threes.

His team recorded the first playoff win after 8 years, and while doing so, set a new playoff record of 14 threes.

Anthony Davis scored three of them for the LAL, eventually ending the game with 31 buckets, 11 boards and three assists, while shooting 13-for-21 from the floor. He became the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to score 30 points in less than 30 minutes on the floor.

“I put pressure on myself. I asked a couple of guys on the team and coaches how I can be better. … I just wanted to come out and be aggressive,” AD explained, following the match.

LeBron scored just 10 points, his all-time playoff low. King James added seven assists and six boards to it, but also had six turnovers. It is way below the expected level of play, but tonight the Lakers didn’t need their best player to deliver more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WriZ8vyGSuA

JR Smith, who arrived after the COVID-19 pause, scored three downtown hits, reaching 11 points with two assists. All the players in the Lakers team apart from Jared Dudley scored at least two buckets.

On the other side, besides Lillard, who had 18 in the moment of the injury, only CJ McCollum and Anfernee Simons had a double-digit number of points. McCollum added 13, and Simons 11.

The Blazers leading duo was 2-for-12 from deep, and had just four assists. Unlike previous events, they were unrecognizable.

Carmelo Anthony played his worst match since the comeback, with two points, one field goal in six tries, and one assist, leaving all the other columns empty.

“They got us tonight. We got our butts kicked tonight, but it’s just one game,” Lillard stated.

Game 3 of this series is set for Saturday.