If you woke up this morning thinking the James family only travels in Lakers jerseys, tonight’s snapshot is here to politely disagree. The Los Angeles Lakers got handed a 108–122 reality check by the Portland Trail Blazers, while one very important James family member decided the better place to be was… Arizona.  Savannah James in person, courtside, cheering on Bryce, and not sitting under the bright (and now slightly embarrassing) Los Angeles lights where Bronny was trying to keep it together.

Call it scheduling, call it priorities, call it what it is: family logistics with a PhD in multitasking. Savannah James posted a simple Instagram story, courtside at an Arizona Wildcats outing, captioned “Yeah 6!!!” and suddenly the narrative wasn’t just about a tough night for Bronny. It was about a mom making sure both boys get their moments without drama or grandstanding. Let’s be clear: this wasn’t choosing one kid over another. It was showing up where your presence actually matters in that exact moment. And yes, Savannah James showed up.

The Lakers, meanwhile, could’ve used all the positive energy they could get. Their performance against the Blazers marks an early low point for the team, despite steady contributions from Doncic and a career-high performance from Austin Reaves. Bronny, in his limited minutes, struggled to find an offensive rhythm and take care of the ball as the Lakers were outscored heavily in the second half. Bronny recorded 3 turnovers and 3 personal fouls in almost 20 minutes, with no shot attempts. It was a humbling reminder that there are still a lot of growing pains that James and the roster have to sort out. (Stephen A. must be smiling right now.)

This isn’t the first time Savannah has shown public support for Bryce. After Bryce committed to Arizona, the James family matriarch shared a message on Instagram, reading, “Yesterday we celebrated @_justbryce as he walks into a new chapter of life!! 🎓✨So proud of you and all the hard work you’ve done to get to this point. This is only the beginning! Keep striving to be the absolute best version of you! Love you more than words can explain, and so excited to see what the future has for you!! I love you, Stink!!” Sure enough, she was there for him courtside, seeing him through this Arizona outing.

Mom showed up for Bryce; the Lakers had to hope Reaves brought enough energy for everyone. Let’s see what exactly went down in yesterday’s game.

Shorthanded LA Lakers collapse late as Austin Reaves shines

The Los Angeles Lakers entered tonight’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers running on fumes. Apart from LeBron James and Luka Doncic, key role-players, including Gabe Vincent and Marcus Smart, were sitting, and the team was forced to rely on just seven players on standard contracts. Despite this, Lakeshow showed some fight early on. Austin Reaves led the charge, with Deandre Ayton scoring midrange buckets. For most of the first half, the Lakers kept pace with the Blazers with efficient shooting and low turnovers despite their shorthanded rotation.

Reaves’ two-man game with Ayton has looked great since Doncic went down. Tonight, the duo combined for 19 early points, keeping LA competitive. Reaves finished with a brilliant 41-point performance, adding five assists and three steals. Ayton chipped in 16 points, and Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt provided good bursts of energy. However, as soon as Reaves sat, the offense fell flat. The Laker bench couldn’t keep up the momentum, and Portland took control after halftime.

Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday buried three after three, ending any hopes of a comeback. Costly late turnovers and fatigue showed, and the lack of depth caused an embarrassing loss to Portland. The biggest issue the team needs to fix going into their Wednesday matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves is clearly their depth. Reaves can only take the offense so far on his own, and he needs production from other teammates to keep the Lakers winning until Doncic and James return.

Final thought: the Lakers will have to sort out depth and defensive coverages before the next big test, and Bronny will have to keep grinding, because the NBA doesn’t hand out participation trophies for effort alone. Meanwhile, Bryce gets his moment, Savannah James gets to cheer in person, and the rest of us get to watch the James family juggle the very modern problem of being famous and normal at the same time. It’s messy, it’s human, and it’s quietly fascinating.

Savannah James was courtside. She clapped. She celebrated. And somewhere between the L.A. scoreboard and the Arizona stands, the family story keeps unfolding one carefully chosen game at a time.