Blazers Absorb 40 from Doncic, Beat Lakers

The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 136-129 on Tuesday night to improve to a 3-0 record on the season. A late surge of three-pointers helped Portland secure and protect the lead down the stretch. Ja Morant and Deni Avdija paced the Blazers with 23 points each, while Jrue Holiday added 22 points and Damian Lillard scored 21, including a decisive late basket with 43 seconds left.

Luka Doncic led the Lakers with a game-high 41 points, alongside 26 points from Austin Reaves, though Doncic managed only 5 points in the fourth quarter. The physical contest saw Portland battle foul trouble with Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Walker Kessler each collecting four fouls. The game also featured multiple unusual infractions late, including three flopping technical fouls called within the final six minutes.