Trail Blazers stay unbeaten, top Lakers 136-129 as Lillard's late 3 beats Luka Doncic's 41

The Portland Trail Blazers are still perfect. Portland beat the Los Angeles Lakers 136-129 on Tuesday night, Oct. 27, at Crypto.com Arena, overcoming 41 points and nine assists from Luka Doncic to improve to 3-0.

Six Blazers scored in double figures. Ja Morant and Deni Avdija had 23 points apiece, Jrue Holiday added 22 off the bench, and Damian Lillard scored 21, including the clinching 3-pointer with 43 seconds left. The Associated Press noted it is the franchise’s second 3-0 start in the last 15 years, and the first under new coach Micah Nori. The Lakers took their first loss of the season.

Trail Blazers vs. Lakers: final score

Line score per NBA.com.

The Lakers led 73-68 at halftime after Sandro Mamukelashvili capped a 13-point first half with a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Portland outscored Los Angeles 68-56 after the break.

How Portland closed it out

The AP recap laid out a back-and-forth finish:

• Early fourth quarter: Portland pushed its lead to eight while Doncic sat.
• The Lakers’ push: Doncic came back from the bench and led a comeback. When Lillard and Avdija hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minutes, Doncic and Ziaire Williams answered with 3s of their own.
• Morant’s response: Morant hit midrange jumpers on consecutive possessions to put the Blazers up five.
• The dagger: Lillard’s fourth 3-pointer of the night, with 43 seconds left, sealed it. Portland finished the game on a 15-8 run.

The 36-year-old Lillard “had another big night against the Lakers,” the AP wrote, even though he uncharacteristically missed four free throws. He went 7 of 11 at the line.

Player stats: who led the way

Portland shot 59% from the field and made 18 of 36 3-pointers, according to the NBA.com box score. The AP pointed out that the Blazers missed just 10 shots in the entire first half.

Stats per NBA.com.

Two other numbers stood out. Toumani Camara went 4 for 5 from 3-point range for 12 points, and Robert Williams III had a double-double in about 21 minutes off the bench. Portland also won the rebounding battle 38-31. Portland was without Shaedon Sharpe, who was listed as inactive.

Doncic’s big night wasn’t enough

Doncic made six 3-pointers and 11 of 13 free throws. He scored 16 in the first quarter alone. The AP said he “played noticeably engaged defense,” but Portland’s balanced scoring and late shot-making were too much.

The game followed his 52-point performance at Utah over the weekend. According to the AP, that was his 10th 50-point game in less than two years with the Lakers. Reaves was efficient too, with 26 points on 13 shots and zero turnovers, but Los Angeles’ bench production beyond Mamukelashvili was thin. Collin Sexton shot 4 for 11, and Quentin Grimes scored two points.

What’s next

The schedule is quick for both teams:

The Lakers’ game against the Clippers is the second night of a back-to-back.

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