In the first meeting of the season between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers, Kobe Bryant will not play. Fresh off a game-winning shot, Bryant will be rested for this game, as it is the second of a back-to-back for the Lakers.
Wesley Johnson is another key component that the Lakers will miss in this game, as he strained his right hip flexor Sunday night against the Indiana Pacers. Wayne Ellington will replace Kobe Bryant in the starting lineup, and Ryan Kelly may start at small forward in place of Johnson. Meanwhile, Nick Young, who scored 22 points on Sunday, should see an increase in minutes.
The Lakers went 1-2 in the three games that Bryant was rested two weeks ago, having only beaten the Golden State Warriors at home. Though, the Lakers played in close games and battled hard in the two losses.
“I have many faults, but one of my strengths is that I can be realistic and that I can build around that,” Bryant said about his fatigued body. “I have to understand my weaknesses, what I can’t do, accept it and then try to dominate.”
Rest has definitely done well for Bryant, as he has gone on a tear after his three-game absence, averaging 17.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.0 assists. He recorded a triple-double the second game back. Aside from sitting him out, head coach Byron Scott has also limited Kobe’s minutes to 32 per game.
For the Blazers, they will continue to be without starting center Robin Lopez. Joel Freeland will also be sidelined due to a strained right shoulder, which could actually keep him out for at least two weeks.
Portland is coming off a loss at home to the streaking Atlanta Hawks in a game where Damian Lillard was quiet offensively. However, we can expect Lillard to bounce back and have a strong game. He has averaged 24.4 points and 7.6 assists in his career against the Lakers, as he seemingly plays well versus Los Angeles.
The Lakers are coming into Portland after defeating the Pacers by one tally in their last game. Against the Pacers, the Lakers were out-rebounded, 50-37, allowing 16 offensive rebounds. They certainly cannot lose their rebounding focus against the Blazers, who are first in rebounding.
In the last two seasons, these two teams have played each other evenly, with the Lakers winning four games and the Blazers winning three. This season is a completely different story, though, as the Blazers are top two in the West, while the Lakers are bottom two. The Blazers have won the last nine out of 11 games and have currently been one of the hottest teams.
Damian Lillard’s continuous improvement has been the reason the Blazers are so good, as the young point guard is averaging career numbers across the board.
The Lakers, having lost the last four out of five games away from home, own a 6-11 road record. The Blazers, winners of seven out of eight games at home, have a 15-3 record at the Moda Center. After this contest, these two teams will be matched up again at the end of the week in Los Angeles.
This game tips off at 10 pm Eastern Standard Time.