Lakers Struggle Without Stars, Fall to Blazers 122-108

LOS ANGELES, California – The Los Angeles Lakers faced a significant challenge on Monday night as they fell to the Portland Trail Blazers, 122-108, at Crypto.com Arena. Battling with a depleted roster, the Lakers were missing star players Luka Doncic and LeBron James due to injuries.

Austin Reaves stood out for the Lakers, scoring an impressive 41 points just a night after tallying 51 in an earlier game against the Sacramento Kings. Reaves’ performance ties him with Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor for the most points scored in the first four games of a season in Lakers history. “I am tired, but this is why we play the game,” Reaves said after playing nearly 40 minutes. “It’s fun, but we didn’t execute as good as we needed to.”

Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton also contributed with 16 points each, but the Lakers struggled overall. With seven players absent, including guards Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent, they faced significant difficulties managing the ball against the Blazers.

Head coach JJ Redick acknowledged the challenge, “It’s tough with short rotations,” he said. “We played hard enough to win, just not well enough.” The Lakers turned the ball over 25 times, costing them 30 points, a critical factor in the loss.

Despite the setbacks, the Lakers will face two quick games this week against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies. “Hopeful on Jaxson [Hayes] and Marcus [Smart],” Redick said regarding potential returns for injured players.

The Trail Blazers’ Deni Avdija led his team with 25 points while Jrue Holiday added 24. The Lakers will need to regroup quickly to stay competitive in their upcoming matchups as they navigate through their current adversity.