Damian Lillard and Portland Trail Blazers Snap Lakers Unique Streak
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USA Today via Reuters
Dec 28, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers guard Dennis Schroder (17) in the fourth quarter at Staples Center. The Trail Blazers defeated the Lakers 115-107. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Lakers developed a strong reputation last season as one of the hardest teams to topple in the clutch. They didn’t lose a single game last season where they had a lead after three quarters, showing that they literally won games based on the first three quarters. They had games where they came back in the fourth quarter, but zero games where they let someone come back in the fourth quarter.
That unique feat has now come to an end, as the Portland Trail Blazers handed LA their second loss this season. The Lakers had a one-point lead going into the fourth, but ended up losing the game by 8 points. Portland’s defense locked LA up down the stretch, while Damian Lillard proved why he is one of the best clutch-time players in the league.
The Blazers beat the Lakers 115-107 after Los Angeles entered the 4th quarter with an 85-84 lead.
This marks the end of the Lakers' streak of 59 straight wins when leading after three quarters. pic.twitter.com/eZOrfdsklS
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 29, 2020
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LeBron James tried his best for LA with a 29-point outing, but it was Anthony Davis who faltered and ended the night with just 13 points. Portland saw big contributions from Gary Trent Jr., Jusuf Nurkic, and C. J. McCollum behind Dame’s 30-piece.
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Lakers looking shaky to start the season?
LA have dropped two games against rival teams in the Conference already. However, nobody should be quick to press the panic button. The team had made their intention to start the season slow very clear. While LeBron had a big game on the second half of a back-to-back, it was AD who fell short of expectations.
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 28, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic (27) and forward Derrick Jones Jr. (55) react in the fourth quarter at Staples Center. The Trail Blazers defeated the Lakers 115-107. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
LA is still looking to build chemistry with their four new players this season. That endeavor is going well, as the new additions are all doing their bit. However, the entire group is just taking a little more time to coalesce. This result had to happen against a highly motivated Trail Blazers squad, who lost to LA in the playoffs last season.
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Hopefully, the Lakers can find their groove back. They are easily one of the most stacked teams on paper, and a 13-point night from Anthony Davis won’t be the norm. This was a bad loss, but they should be able to bounce back strong.
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