Up-and-down Lakers back on track, matches highest scoring game of season

D’Angelo Russell scored 34 points to go along with 8 assists and LeBron James added 28 points as the Los Angeles Lakers got back on track with a 134-110 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, January 21 (Monday, January 22, Manila time).

Anthony Davis added 14 points and 14 rebounds as Los Angeles won two days after a noncompetitive second half in a defeat to the Brooklyn Nets. The up-and-down Lakers are 5-7 since December 30.

Austin Reaves had 15 points for Los Angeles. He went 3-for-4 from 3-point range, one game after going 0-for-6 from distance.

Malcolm Brogdon scored 23 points and dished out 9 assists and Anfernee Simons added 19 points as the Blazers saw their two-game winning streak come to an end in the opener of a four-game road trip.

Jerami Grant scored 17 points and Duop Reath had 16 for the Trail Blazers, who were unable to match their longest winning streak of the season. Jabari Walker had 12 points and 7 rebounds as Portland went 0-3 against Los Angeles to complete the season series.

The Trail Blazers went 17 of 20 from the free throw line after they went 30 of 35 from the stripe in Friday’s victory over the Indiana Pacers.

The Lakers jumped out to a 20-8 lead less than five minutes into the game and led 36-31 after one quarter. Los Angeles then held Portland to 23 points in the second quarter to take a 67-54 advantage by shooting 55.6% in the opening half.

The Lakers reached the 100-point mark on Cam Reddish’s layup with 1:34 remaining in the third quarter and went into the final period with a 103-87 lead.

With the game in hand, James departed with just over six minutes to go after making two free throws for a 120-97 lead. Los Angeles matched its highest scoring game of the season after also scoring 134 points on November 14 in a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Lakers had a 45-35 rebounding advantage and scored a season-high 35 fastbreak points. – Rappler.com