Despite Austin Reaves' 41 Points, Short-handed Lakers Are No Match For Trail Blazers - Beritaja

Injuries about swallowed the Lakers full Monday night, leaving them short connected ballhandlers, cardinal domiciled players and prima power.

They were down 7 players and they were playing connected back-to-back nights to apical it off, leaving the task daunting for the Lakers.

Still, the Lakers had to property connected against the odds, which they were incapable to flooded in falling 122-108 to the Portland Trail Blazers Monday nighttime astatine Crypto.com Arena.

Austin Reaves did his champion to support the Lakers successful the game, scoring 41 points 1 nighttime aft scoring a career-high 51 astatine Sacramento. Reaves now has scored 143 points successful the first 4 games this season, tying him pinch Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor (1962) for the about points successful Lakers’ history complete that span to commencement the season.

Rui Hachimura (16 points) and Deandre Ayton (16 points, 8 rebounds) tried to thief out.

But pinch defender Luka Doncic (left digit sprain, little near limb contusion) and LeBron James (right sciatica) retired it was going to beryllium reliable for the Lakers. Then pinch guards Marcus Smart (right quad contusion) and Gabe Vincent (left ankle sprain) down, it meant the Lakers were successful deeper problem without overmuch of their backcourt. Add Maxi Kleber (abdominal musculus strain), Jaxson Hayes (right patellar tendinopathy) and Adou Thiero (left knee room recovery) sitting the chair successful thoroughfare clothes, it was excessively overmuch for the Lakers to woody with.

The Lakers person 2 much games this week, astatine Minnesota connected Wednesday nighttime and astatine Memphis connected Friday, meaning L.A. will person played 4 games this week while not being whole.

Along pinch Reaves and Ayton, the Lakers started Jared Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and Jake LaRavia.

The Lakers’ chair consisted of Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, Chris Manon and Christian Koloko, the past 2 of whom are connected two-way contracts — leaving them pinch 9 disposable players.

“I don’t expect anybody to do much than they’re doing,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “What we challenged the guys connected earlier the crippled was playing pinch an edge. And that’s a wont that I deliberation takes clip to form. We saw glimpses of it passim the preseason. You’re conscionable benignant of waiting connected it. You dream you get it opening night. And past you yet commencement seeing it erstwhile we’re successful Game 2 against Minnesota. And I thought the guys passim the crippled yesterday (in Sacrament) conscionable had a terrific competitory edge. That’s what we need. And that’s sloppy if we person a afloat roster or...how galore guys are out? Six? Seven? Seven. Seven guys out. Yeah, we gotta do it.”

Taking attraction of the hoops was 1 of the problems the Lakers had. Then again, that wasn’t a full astonishment considering the Lakers really had conscionable 1 ballhander successful Reaves and he was harassed each nighttime by Portland.

The Lakers turned the shot complete 25 times, starring to 28 points for the Trail Blazers points.

The Lakers didn’t do it from the three-point statement successful the first half, missing 11 of their 12 attempts. They vanished the crippled going seven-for-27 from the three-point line.