The Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers will match up in the first round of the playoffs after Damian Lillard led his team to a play-in triumph over the Memphis Grizzlies. Now, he’ll have an even tougher task ahead of him as they face one of the best NBA teams in the world.
The Lakers haven’t fared well since the restart of the season. Their offense struggled to click and even though their defense was great, there are some serious concerns regarding their ability to match up vs. the Blazers’ bigs.
Portland, on the other hand, had more close games than any other team in the bubble. Carmelo Anthony, CJ McCollum, and the aforementioned Lillard had outstanding performances in the clutch but the team’s subpar defense raised a lot of red flags for coach Terry Stotts.
The Blazers have the edge in the paint with Jusuf Nurkic, Hassan Whiteside, and Zach Collins but Anthony Davis is going to be a handful for their big men. That’s why most experts and players from other NBA teams think this series could go either way.
Head-To-Head: Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers
The Lakers hold a 122-108 edge over the Blazers in the regular season, including a 2-1 series lead this season. When it comes to the playoffs, Los Angeles doubles Rip City with a 32-16 record.
They’ve also won 7 straight playoff games vs Portland but they haven’t met since 2002. It’s also worth noting that LeBron James has never won a 1st-round series in his 13 appearances in the playoffs.
Match Information:Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers
Date:Tuesday, Aug. 18
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location:AdventHealth Arena, Orlando
Odds: Los Angeles Lakers -6, o/u 229.5(via DraftKings)
Injuries
Los Angeles Lakers
Rajon Rondo: Thumb, Targeting September
Portland Trail Blazers
Nassir Little:Illness, Day-to-day
Caleb Swanigan:Personal, Out for the season
Trevor Ariza:Personal, Out for the season
Rodney Hood: Achilles, Out for the season
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How Can I WatchLos Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers Game 1?
Game 1:Tue, Aug 18 Portland at Los Angeles, 9 ET, TNT,NBA League Pass
