The Portland Trail Blazers return to action Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers in a nationally televised game that will hand one team its first loss.
The Blazers (2-0) will be well-rested after three full days off following their 128-120 win Friday night in Sacramento. The Lakers (3-0) defeated the Utah Jazz 132-123 Sunday afternoon thanks to 52 points and 10 assists from Luka Doncic.
With NBC and Peacock’s national broadcast crew on hand, tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. PT. Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (2-0) VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS (3-0) – TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 – 8:00 P.M. PT
HOW TO WATCH: NBC, Peacock
HOW TO LISTEN: Rip City Radio 620 AM
TRAIL BLAZERS INJURIES: Shaedon Sharpe (OUT), Jason Kent, John Tunjy, Kris Youngblood (OUT – G-League); Branden Carlson, Scoot Henderson (QUESTIONABLE).
LAKERS INJURIES: Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero (OUT).
OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS: The Lakers have the highest scoring rate in the league at 128 points per game, while the Blazers are second with 126 points per game. It’s too early to tell how sustainable the scoring barrage is, but it’s safe to say both teams are firing on all cylinders through the first week of the season.
The Blazers lit up the Suns in the opener with 19 three-pointers on 47 attempts (40.4%). Then, when the threes weren’t falling in Sacramento (14-48, 29.2%), the Blazers found other ways to score. They converted 32 of 48 (66.7%) of their two-point attempts and got to the free-throw line 30 times against the Kings.
The Lakers have the best field goal percentage (54.5%) in the NBA and are second in three-point percentage (42.1%). To win this game, the Blazers will need to light up the scoreboard again.
GUARD DEPTH: Like the Blazers, the Lakers employ a deep roster of talented guards. Doncic will be the primary facilitator when he’s on the floor, but Austin Reaves will get plenty of opportunities to run the offense as well. Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton, both acquired this offseason, will be available off the bench. Grimes saw significant minutes over the last season and a half in Philadelphia, where he averaged 15.7 points per game. With a career average of 18.3 points per game, Sexton has been getting buckets around the NBA for nearly a decade.
But none of the Lakers’ guards are known for their defense. Can the Blazers win the backcourt battle?
As of this writing, Scoot Henderson is listed as questionable with ankle soreness. If he’s able to play, can he deliver his first standout performance of the season? In his first two combined contests, he’s made just one of nine attempts from beyond the arc, but there are encouraging signs. He’s 7-of-11 on shots from 15 feet and in from the basket, where he hasn’t historically been efficient. If he plays, look for him to be aggressive against the Lakers’ second unit.
THYBULLE’S MISSION: Matisse Thybulle will face his former team for the first time as a member of the Lakers. He has started all three games of the season and has primarily been responsible for defending the opposing team’s best perimeter player or best on-ball player, including:
- Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- Darius Garland, Los Angeles Clippers
- Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
Where will he spend most of his time against the Blazers? Chasing Ja Morant as he initiates the offense? Chasing Damian Lillard off-ball? Trying to stay in front of Deni Avdija? This will be a dilemma for many Blazers opponents this year, and it will be interesting to see how the Lakers deploy their most disruptive defender.
ESPN had some interesting statistics after Doncic dominated the Jazz on Sunday:
This was Doncic’s fourth game with 50 points and 10 assists, breaking a tie with Nikola Jokic, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, and Nate Archibald for the second-most in NBA history behind James Harden (8).
Doncic became just the second player in NBA history to have 50 points and 10 assists with multiple franchises (Lakers and Mavericks), joining Wilt Chamberlain (76ers and Warriors).
