Lakers Go for 4-0 Against Unbeaten Trail Blazers as Clippers Lose Hachimura
Los Angeles can open 4-0 for the first time since 2010 tonight at Crypto.com Arena, then meets a shorthanded Clippers team Wednesday.
The Lakers have spent a week reminding Los Angeles why it was excited about this season. Tonight they get the first real test of whether a perfect start can last: an unbeaten Portland Trail Blazers team arrives at Crypto.com Arena, and the Clippers wait one night later with their own lineup scramble.
A Shot at 4-0
The Lakers are 3-0 after Sunday's 132-123 win at Utah, and tonight's game against the 2-0 Blazers tips off at 8 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock, according to NBA.com. A win would give Los Angeles its first 4-0 start since 2010, the league's website noted. The game is part of NBC's "Coast 2 Coast Tuesday" doubleheader, which also features the Knicks hosting the Pistons.
The Utah game carried a lesson. Los Angeles trailed 47-29 after the first quarter, its first double-digit hole of the season, then outscored the Jazz 103-76 the rest of the way. That matters because the Lakers went just 1-9 last season when trailing by double digits after the first quarter, the seventh-worst winning percentage in the NBA, NBA.com reported. "It's a reference point for resiliency," coach JJ Redick said after the game. Last season, by contrast, the Lakers were an NBA-best 40-1 when leading entering the fourth quarter.
Luka Doncic's 52 points in Utah also made history. NBA.com said he became the first Laker with at least 50 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds and 5 three-pointers in one game. He is averaging 34.3 points over three games, according to Sports Illustrated's team leaders page.
Injury Report
One young guard has come off the injury list. Cameron Carr was cleared Tuesday after missing time with a right oblique injury, Hoops Nightly reported. Adou Thiero remains out with a left knee injury; the same report listed his estimated return as Wednesday, and Sports Illustrated still shows him out.
Portland is not at full strength either. Hoops Nightly said Shaedon Sharpe and Chris Youngblood are out, with Scoot Henderson and Branden Carlson day-to-day. The Blazers are 2-0 under coach Micah Nori, and the same report put Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard at 22.0 points a game apiece. Portland also comes in with three days of rest to the Lakers' one.
The Clippers Shuffle Again
The Lakers play the Clippers on Wednesday at Intuit Dome, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. PT on KTLA, according to Lakers Daily. Forward Rui Hachimura is out with left quad soreness that he reported after Sunday's game, and he did not practice Tuesday. Coach Tyronn Lue said Kobe Sanders will start in his place.
Sanders scored 12 points in 20 minutes off the bench in Sunday's 108-101 loss at Oklahoma City, Lakers Daily noted. He started 16 games for Lue as a rookie, according to the same report. CBS Sports said the start will be his first of this season.
The Clippers are already thin. Sports Illustrated lists Bradley Beal (knee), Brandon Ingram (heel), Jordan Miller (shoulder), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) and Max Strus (foot) as out. The Lakers beat the Clippers 125-117 on Saturday, according to Sports Illustrated's schedule page.
What Comes Next
The schedule does not let up. After the Clippers game, the Lakers play at Golden State on Saturday, Oct. 31 on Amazon Prime Video, then host Toronto on Monday, Nov. 2, according to Sports Illustrated. NBA.com also noted that the NBA Cup begins Friday with a 10-game slate to open group play.
Off the court, the franchise is in transition. Hoops Nightly, summarizing ESPN reporting, said owner Mark Walter agreed on Aug. 12 to sell his controlling stake to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner for $12.5 billion. For tonight, though, the questions are simpler: whether Doncic and the Lakers can protect an early lead, and whether they can answer if Portland gets out in front.
