The third and final game of the Los Angeles Lakers road trip ended the same way every other game on the trip did, with a statement victory on the homecourt of another Western Conference foe, to keep them with a perfect record (11-0) away from Staples Center.
Anthony Davis finished with a game-high 39 points to go with nine rebounds while LeBron James had a complete performance of 31 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, with 17 of his points coming in the second half to seal the game, 136-113.
Damian Lillard had a team-high 29 points for the Blazers on 9-18 shooting, but the Trail Blazers were unable to get any stops on the Lakers as the Lake Show shot 54 percent from the field and 47 percent from the 3-point line.
After the Lakers and Blazers played an entertaining back-and-forth first quarter with Carmelo Anthony leading the way for Portland and Davis leading the way for L.A. But as the game wore on, the Lakers showed the level of play that currently has them at 20-3 through 23 games. The tenor of the game changed at the end of the first quarter when Portland lost starting small forward Rodney Hood to a torn Achilles.
The Lakers offense, which has improved quite a bit over the past month, looked like a buzzsaw through a struggling Blazers defense. While Lillard had some moments, the Blazers as a whole just simply could not slow down the Lakers juggernaut.
As frustration boiled over for Portland, head coach Terry Stotts was ejected from the game after taking issue with a foul.
The Lakers are back home at Staples Center on Sunday to host the Minnesota Timberwolves before heading out on the road again for a five-game road trip next week.
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