Luka Doncic scored 53 points and the Los Angeles Lakers erased a 16-point deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118 in NBA Cup group play on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. The win pushed Los Angeles to 8-2 on the season and 4-0 in its last four games.
Portland built its 16-point cushion behind a hot start from Deni Avdija, who finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists. The Lakers answered by outscoring the Trail Blazers 34-15 in the third quarter and 37-43 to Portland’s 43, but Los Angeles closed the fourth quarter strong enough to hold on, with Doncic carrying the offense down the stretch on 17-of-33 shooting from the field and 14-of-18 from the free-throw line.
Key Moments And How The Lakers Rallied
Portland led by as many as 16 points after building a 49-35 edge late in the second quarter, with Damian Lillard and Avdija combining to carry the Trail Blazers through the opening two periods. Toumani Camara and Robert Williams III added early buckets off the bench as Portland shot well from deep in the first half.
The Lakers flipped the game in the third quarter, outscoring Portland 34-15 to take the lead. Doncic attacked downhill and drew fouls repeatedly, while Walker Kessler cleaned up on the glass and in transition. Los Angeles held off Portland’s rally in the fourth, where both teams scored 43 and 37 points.
The Lakers also won the turnover battle decisively, forcing 24 Portland turnovers while committing only 11 themselves, and turned those takeaways into 18 points compared to just 9 fast-break points for the Trail Blazers.
Top Performers From Both Teams
Doncic’s 53-point, five-assist night anchored the Lakers’ comeback. Austin Reaves added 25 points on 8-of-22 shooting, while Kessler finished with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Sandro Mamukelashvili came off the bench for seven points and a plus-19 rating in 20 minutes.
For Portland, Avdija’s 22 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists led a balanced effort. Lillard added 22 points, Toumani Camara scored 18 and Donovan Clingan posted 17 points with a team-high 11 rebounds. Robert Williams III chipped in nine points off the bench in 16 minutes.
What It Means
The Lakers moved to 8-2 and remain atop the Pacific Standings, 1.5 games ahead of the Golden State Warriors. Portland fell to 6-2 but stayed within half a game of the division-leading Oklahoma City Thunder in the Northwest Standings. The season series between the two teams is now tied 1-1, with each club winning once at home. The result also counts toward NBA Cup group play, where group standings carry over from in-season tournament games.
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