The Los Angeles Lakers (7-2) are back on their home court Friday for a huge rematch against the Portland Trail Blazers (6-1), and believe it, this isn’t just any regular game. This showdown is an NBA Cup contest for West Group C, making the stakes even higher than last week’s brutal loss where Portland absolutely ran the purple and gold off their own floor.
Morant’s Out, But the Real Problem Lingers
Remember that last game? Ja Morant was the dude tearing it up, dropping 23 points and scoring on nine of his 13 attempts, getting into the paint like the Lakers had an open door policy. It felt like L.A. had absolutely no answer for him. Well, good news for the Lakers, right? Morant isn’t suiting up this Friday, he’s recovering from a Grade 2 hamstring injury. But hold up, don’t pop the champagne just yet. The Blazers still have serious firepower, and we’re gonna see more touches for Deni Avdija, Damian Lillard, and Scoot Henderson, who’s already slid into Morant’s starting spot. The fact is, Morant’s absence doesn’t magically fix the Lakers’ own issues that got exposed.
Defense, Defense, Defense. Seriously.
If the Lakers want to even think about getting a win here, their defense needs to get its act together. Last time, they let Portland shoot a ridiculous 50% from beyond the arc and gave up a staggering 56 points right in the paint. Fifty-six points! Was Portland’s shooting an outlier? Maybe, but there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again if the Lakers don’t lock down their perimeter and protect the rim. The Blazers are no joke, they’re the seventh-best rebounding team in the league, rocking a top-10 offensive AND defensive rating, and they lead the whole damn league in points per game with 121.9! This isn’t a team Luka Dončić can just overwhelm with his brilliance alone. The Lakers’ early flaws, like their inability to rebound, their over-reliance on Dončić, and their overall team defense, are still glaring. They’ve done a better job of navigating these issues since that initial loss, but Friday is the real test.
This is the Lakers’ chance to prove they’ve learned from that beatdown, to show how they’ve adjusted, and to really show how determined they are to make a run in the NBA Cup after getting absolutely stomped by the Warriors in their opener. Catch the action Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. PT at Crypto.com Arena on Spectrum Sportsnet. Can they finally get even, or will Portland expose them all over again?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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