The Los Angeles Lakers would want nothing more than to put their upsetting loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the rearview mirror.
After squandering a 26-point lead in their first meeting, the Lakers fell victim to another spirited comeback from the Thunder on Friday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rallied his team from a 19-point hole to win on the road. For a championship-hungry team like the Lakers, losing to the ever-rebuilding Thunder is far from ideal.
The Lakers will look to redeem themselves when they take on the Portland Trail Blazers tomorrow, 10:30 PM on NBA TV Philippines via Smart’s GigaPlay app or Cignal TV.
LeBron James, who has already sat out three games this season, will likely continue to miss time because of an abdomen strain. The King is averaging 24.8 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.5 rebounds so far. The injury bug continues to nibble on the Lakers with Anthony Davis reportedly questionable for the matchup in Portland because of a thumb injury.
With LeBron out and AD potentially sidelined as well, all eyes will be on Russell Westbrook. Through nine games, Westbrook is posting 20.2 points, 8.4 boards, 8.1 dimes, and 1.2 steals.
The downside of his start so far in Los Angeles is his 4.8 turnovers. In his previous game against the Thunder, he committed a costly miscue late.
The consistent bright spot for the Lakers is Carmelo Anthony, who will make his return to Portland. Anthony is relishing his role as a viable scoring option off the bench, dropping 17.0 points per game and 3.6 makes from deep.
It wasn't that long ago when Melo was struggling to find a new team after failed stints in Oklahoma and Houston. It was in Portland where he was able to jumpstart his career and reinvent himself as an elite sixth man while still retaining his clutch gene. On Sunday, he will get a chance to play against his former team who revitalized his role.
As the short-handed Lakers look for redemption, the Trail Blazers aim for consistency. Before claiming a victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, they were on a three-game losing streak. At the center of the team's inconsistency is Damian Lillard.
The star point guard has yet to find his groove on the offensive end early into the season. Against the Pacers, he scored only four points and shot an eyesore 15.4 percent from the field. He made just two field goals and missed all of his six attempts from deep. And yet, what you appreciate with Lillard despite his shooting woes is his aggressiveness to keep attacking. He is coming off an 11-assist game and is dishing out 8.8 dimes for the season.
Tomorrow’s matchup marks the first of four regular-season meetings between the Lakers and the Trail Blazers.
