The Portland Trail Blazers lost 116-110 to the Lakers, playing without several players — including Anfernee Simons, rookie Scoot Henderson and others.
The Lakers won despite LeBron James’ absence, who missed his first game of the season with a bruised left calf. He injured his shin on Friday night in Phoenix, colliding with Kevin Durant.
Anthony Davis had a big night for the Lakers, scoring 30 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Rui Hachimura also had a strong performance, scoring 19 points, with eight coming in the final 3:43. The Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak, fending off the Blazers’ comeback attempt.
“AD is one of the best players in the game,” said Austin Reaves, who scored 18 points. “He makes a difference every time he’s on the floor. You don’t want to play without LeBron, but with AD, you always have a shot.”
Cam Reddish had 18 points, with 16 in the first half, and D’Angelo Russell recorded 11 points and 11 assists for the Lakers.
“We played with intensity and gave our best effort for the whole game,” Reddish said. “We’re happy with the win, but we know we can do better.”
Jerami Grant scored 23 points and Shaedon Sharpe had 19 for the Blazers, who have dropped three straight after a three-game winning streak. The Blazers struggled to get to the free throw line, shooting only nine times compared to 37 for the Lakers.
“AD played great tonight,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “He was on fire and we couldn’t contain him. … Their guards also did a lot of damage with their drives and passes to AD in the lane. He was the best player on the floor.”
The Lakers had a 13-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Blazers scored 12 straight points to make it a one-point game. The Lakers answered with an 8-2 run and clinched the win with free throws by Hachimura and Reaves.
“It’s all about execution in the end, because most NBA games are tight,” said Skylar Mays, who had 15 points and 12 assists for the Blazers. “We showed some fight, but we didn’t close it out. We have to get better at that. There’s still a lot of time left in the season.”
The Lakers were missing Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, while the Blazers were without Malcolm Brogdon, rookie Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons.
Duop Reath, a 27-year-old rookie center from Sudan and Australia, made his NBA debut for the Blazers and scored 11 points, making three 3-pointers.
“It was an incredible feeling to be on the court in the NBA,” Reath said. “It was a roller coaster of emotions, but I enjoyed it.”
Jamaree Bouyea, a second-year guard from the University of San Francisco, also debuted for the Blazers after signing a two-way contract. He had six points in a few minutes. He played for Miami and Washington last season.
Matisse Thybulle had 14 points and four 3-pointers in the first half for the Blazers, but he exited the game in the third quarter and did not come back. The Blazers did not reveal his injury.
