LeBron James contributed 28 points and D’Angelo Russell scored 34 as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 134-110 on Sunday night to return to.500.
Anthony Davis contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds in addition to 15 points from Austin Reaves, which assisted the Lakers (22-22) in recovering from an 18-point loss to Brooklyn the night before.
James and Russell scored the first 19 points of the fourth period for the Lakers.
Russell contributed to one of the Lakers’ 35 fastbreak points, which was a season high. While feigning a pass to James, who was sprinting alongside, he maintained possession of the ball and succeeded in completing the layin.
James exclaimed, “That was dope,” while subsequently shaking his head. “The only way to get fastbreak points is to defend, defend without fouling, and we did that.”
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Four free throws, a dunking attempt by James, and a three-pointer by Russell contributed to their 23-point lead. Five games ago, Russell made his return to the starting lineup with the intention of complementing James and Davis through his assertiveness.
“He’s been aggressive looking for his shot and we continue to try to find him, especially in transition,” James remarked.
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James remained on the bench for the final six minutes of the game, joining Davis and the other starting lineups, with the victory already secured.
Portland was led by Malcolm Brogdon, who tallied 23 points and nine assists. Jerami Grant contributed 17 points and Anfernee Simons contributed 19, as the West’s next-to-last team’s two-game winning string came to an end.
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“Despite their unfavorable record, the Trail Blazers still possess a great deal of firepower over there,” said Lakers head coach Darvin Ham.
Russell scored thirteen points in the third period on three 3-pointers as the Lakers extended their lead to twenty-two. In the fourth, he scored two more threes, tying his season high of six.
Russell recorded eight assists and finished one point short of his season-high 35 points.
“He’s really locked in on his game and focused on ways he can help the team,” Ham asserted. “Tonight was one of the most complete games I’ve seen him play since he’s been back in a Laker uniform.”