Luka Doncic scored a season-high 53 points and Austin Reaves added 25 as the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to four games with a 124-118 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.
Walker Kessler scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Lakers avenged a loss at Portland last week.
Doncic recorded his 11th career 50-point game, moving into a tie for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time list, and his fourth consecutive game with at least 40 points this season. He has scored at least 40 points six times in nine games. His 17-for-33 shooting night included a 62-foot, three-quarter-court heave for a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer.
Deni Avdija scored 22 points with nine rebounds and 11 assists, and Damian Lillard also had 22 points as the Trail Blazers saw their three-game winning streak end. It was just their second loss of the season.
Toumani Camara had 18 points, and Donovan Clingan added 17 points and 11 rebounds for Portland, which lost for the first time in four games since Ja Morant went down with a hamstring injury.
The Lakers improved to 1-1 in NBA Cup group play, while the Trail Blazers fell to 0-1.
Portland controlled most of the first half, building a lead of as many as 16 points. Momentum shifted when Doncic launched his long-range 3-pointer to cut the Lakers’ deficit to 60-53 at halftime.
The Lakers took a 71-68 lead on a Ziaire Williams 3-pointer with 4:23 remaining in the third quarter, their first lead since Doncic’s basket made it 2-0. Williams’ shot was part of a 17-0 run that gave Los Angeles a 78-68 advantage.
The Lakers took an 87-75 lead into the fourth quarter, with Doncic already at 40 points. He outscored Portland 20-15 by himself in the third quarter, when Los Angeles scored 34 points.
Portland used a 10-0 run to pull within 95-89 with 7:20 remaining before back-to-back 3-pointers by Jake LaRavia and Reaves put Los Angeles ahead 103-91 with 5:25 left.
The Trail Blazers trailed 114-110 with 50.8 seconds remaining after Lillard made two free throws. Doncic sealed the victory with a floater with 27.7 seconds left, moving past the 50-point mark.
