The Los Angeles Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena on Friday, Nov. 6, at 10 p.m. ET in a matchup between the top two teams in the Western Conference. Portland leads the West at 6–1 and opens its NBA Cup campaign, while the second-place Lakers are 7–2 and looking for their first win in West Group C after losing 112–95 to Golden State.
Both teams have won three straight. Portland beat the Phoenix Suns 132–119 on Wednesday to improve to 5–0 on the road, while the Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings 116–103 behind 40 points from Luka Doncic. This is already the second meeting between the teams. Portland won the first 136–129 in Los Angeles, getting 23 points each from Ja Morant and Deni Avdija despite Doncic going for 41 points and nine assists.
Morant hit back-to-back jumpers late in that game before Damian Lillard sealed it with a three. With Morant out for the rematch, Portland will have to find those late baskets somewhere else.
Sandro Mamukelashvili: Questionable(Illness)
Vit Krejci: Out (Leg)
Ja Morant: Out (Hamstring)
Shaedon Sharpe: Out (Knee)
The Lakers have the league's best offensive rating at 121.1 and a plus-8.2 net rating. The Lakers score 121.8 points per game while shooting 51.2% from the field and 38.8% from three. They also make 24.1 free throws on 30.1 attempts per game and average 10.2 steals. That gives them several ways to score when the half-court offense slows down, especially if Doncic and Austin Reaves can get into the lane and draw contact.
Doncic is averaging 38.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists while shooting 49.5% from the field and 43.1% from three. Austin Reaves is averaging 23.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists on 53.1% shooting from the field and 42.9% from deep.
Portland can send a second defender at Doncic, but Reaves can turn the next catch into a drive or pull-up before the Blazers get their matchups back. He scored 26 in the first meeting, so Portland already knows the cost of giving him room.
Walker Kessler is averaging 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks while shooting 71.8% from the field. The Lakers should use him as a screener early and make Portland's centers defend Doncic above the foul line. If the big steps up to take away the pull-up, Kessler has room to roll. If Portland stays back, Doncic can get to a shot he's been making all season.
Portland averages 121.9 points per game, just ahead of Los Angeles, and has a 120.0 offensive rating and a 109.6 defensive rating. The Blazers make 15.4 threes on 43.4 attempts, get to the line 31.1 times per game, and average 27.1 assists. They also grab 47.4 rebounds per game to the Lakers' 39.9. If Portland keeps that edge on the glass, it can generate enough second chances to offset Los Angeles' better shooting percentages.
Avdija leads Portland with 23.4 points and averages 6.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists while shooting 47.8% from the field and 31.6% from three. He had 21 points and 12 assists against Phoenix, showing he can shoulder more of the playmaking without Morant.
Lillard averages 20.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. He's shooting 31.7% from three, but the Lakers still have to pick him up high and keep him from getting comfortable behind a screen
Toumani Camara is averaging 13.7 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 53.2% from the field and 47.1% from deep. He made four of his five threes in the first meeting. Los Angeles can't consistently leave him to help on Avdija's drives, particularly with Lillard already demanding so much attention on the perimeter.
Ziarie Williams is averaging 10.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 44.0% from three. He's the player Los Angeles needs to make the open shot when Portland sends help toward Doncic.
Collin Sexton , averaging 9.8 points and 2.5 assists, can keep pressure on the rim when Doncic sits. Sandro Mamukelashvili averages 9.0 points and 4.6 rebounds, and if he can play, his ability to step outside gives the Lakers another way to pull a Portland big out of the paint.
Donovan Clingan averages 10.6 rebounds and just had 24 points and 11 boards against Phoenix. If Kessler has to step up to contain Lillard or Avdija, a Lakers wing has to rotate down and box Clingan out. That's where Portland can turn a well-defended possession into a putback or an open three.
Portland has already won in this building and has the size and shooting to do it again. I'm taking the Lakers this time. Morant's absence takes away a creator who made two key shots late in the first meeting, and Los Angeles can direct more of its help toward Lillard and Avdija.
If the Lakers hold up on the glass, Doncic and Reaves should give them the edge in the final few possessions.
Prediction: Lakers vs. Blazers 126-121
