Lillard and Trent Jr put on a show in LA and beat 115–107 the Lakers
Damian Lillard put on a show last night notching up 31 points, four rebounds and five assists (10/16 FG, 5/10 3-PT, 6/6 FT), Gary Trent Jr came off the bench to amplify Blazers’ power offensively (28 pts, 3 rebounds, 10/14 FG, 7/11 3-PT, 1/2 FT) to hold off the defending champions on Monday night.
“I would assume any young player who was coming off the kind of season he had last season would expect to be in the rotation for more than six minutes,” Lillard said Trent Jr’s performance. “When that happened, I was like, ‘Let’s see how he responds.’ I think it says a lot about him that he came out and had this type of performance. It speaks to how tough he is mentally and how locked in he is to this season.”
“It makes us just a little bit more confident to be coming on the road and continuing to grow, continuing to build on our effort,” Lillard said. “We’re just getting more comfortable with each other, and we’re bringing our energy.”
Carmelo Anthony and Nassir Little missed the game under the NBA’s health protocols, while Zach Collins sat out with a left ankle injury.
LeBron James had 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the NBA champions, who finished 2–2 on their season-opening homestand. Dennis Schröder added 24 points and Kentavious Caldwell Pope had 14 points.
Anthony Davis returned after missing one game due to a bruised calf and had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
“We just weren’t moving the ball that well,” Vogel said. “I’ve got to make sure I get (Davis) the ball in opportunities where he can be aggressive.”
NEXT GAMES
Blazers will encounter the Clippers on Wednesday, while Lakers will travel to San Antonio to face Popovich’s group.