The third game between Portland and LA in the best-of-7 series will be played in Orlando, FL, tipping off at 8:30. The series is currently tied at one game apiece.
Portland will be the “home” team, so maybe the Moda Center’s familiar sounds put them at ease. We just saw them get blown out in game two and even saw Damian Lillard fracture a finger. At the time of his injury, the team trailed 85-55 in the third quarter.
The Lakers have accomplished very little of what they hope to do, so far. Their dominance in Game 2 speaks more to them as a team than their lackluster effort in a surprising game one defeat. So they did find some rhythm, but they definitely hoped for a sweep in this 1-8 matchup.
We’ll see which Lakers team shows up and if Portland can finally get their offense going for the first time in the series. Very little has worked for them.
ODDS:
The Lakers are favored by 7.5 points, with the over/under set at 229.
LakeShow Aiming for 2-1 lead
After dominating both sides of the floor in their last win, the Lakers will hope to continue to give Portland trouble. It’s worth mentioning that LeBron scored only 10 points in the big win, so we’ll see if this can be the night to finally turn it up. He’s certainly not as locked in as he usually is in the playoffs.
They got a monster performance from Anthony Davis in that second game, as he just scored at will. And JaVale McGee overpowered Jusuf Nurkic in his limited minutes, something you love to see if you’re the Lakers. He hadn’t done too much in the opening game or even the seeding games.
But the ultimate difference is that they made shots. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went from going 0-9 to becoming a knockdown three-ball shooter.
Portland Looking for Surprising 2-1 Lead
This team believes they can take anybody down, and rightfully so. They had been 8-2 in the bubble, averaging 126 points per game before their blowout loss in game two. The lack of backcourt size has hurt them in matchups against taller Lakers defenders.
And making matters worse, Zach Collins season is over thanks to an ankle injury. He had been playing very well for them, and his loss will be felt tremendously. He was able to space the floor well and could play both PF and center. Wenyen Gabriel has stepped into the starting role, with Hassan Whiteside now getting some minutes behind him. They lack depth up front.
If basketball wasn’t all about size, these guys could just slide Melo to the center spot and have five scorers in at once. But playing against a big team like the Lakers, you need to use Hassan Whiteside and Wenyen Gabriel.
Lakers Win Big Again, Go Up 2-1
Sorry, Portland. Not today. All about the Lakers out there.
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