Collin Sexton became a target for fans after the Los Angeles Lakers lost for the first time this season, falling 136-129 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Luka Dončić scored 41 points, but Portland outscored Los Angeles 34-26 in the fourth quarter to improve to 3-0.
The former Cleveland Cavaliers guard played 14 minutes off the bench and finished with 9 points on 4-for-11 shooting, missing all 5 of his 3-point attempts. His 11 shots ranked third on the team despite his limited playing time. He also committed 3 turnovers and posted a minus-8 plus-minus rating.
One fan emphasized how often he had the ball, writing, "Collin Sexton had a team-high 44% usage in the loss vs the Blazers."
Podcaster and influencer Claire de Lune weighed in during the game: "For someone tasked with running the point off the bench, Collin Sexton sure is calling his own shot a lot."
Coach Rome asked fans to "send ur best trade packages for Collin Sexton" and added, "no way he makes it past the deadline."
The No. 8 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft also finished with 4 assists, including 3 early in the second quarter.
However, a fan questioned his playmaking role: "Lost the game because apparently Collin Sexton gets to run the offense over Austin Reaves now?"
Reaves finished with 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting and 7 assists without a turnover.
The Lakers led 103-102 entering the fourth quarter, but Portland pulled ahead with an 11-1 run early in the period. Los Angeles briefly regained the lead before the Blazers closed the game on an 18-9 run.
One fan criticized Sexton and Quentin Grimes: "Collin Sexton and Grimes garbage ball in the beginning of the 4th while [Dončić] was on the bench ruined this masterclass. Smh."
Another called for the former lottery pick's immediate departure: "You can cut Collin Sexton now. A losing basketball player all round."
Sports influencer Ahmed/The Ears posted , "I never wanna watch Collin Sexton play basketball ever again."
Sexton, 27, signed a two-year, $19.2 million contract with the Lakers in July. He is earning $9.4 million this season, and his deal includes a player option for the 2027-28 campaign. Los Angeles has brought him off the bench in all three of his appearances.
Last season, the veteran guard averaged 15.4 points per game and shot 40.1% from 3-point range across 68 games with the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls. He is 2-for-13 from deep through his first three appearances with the Lakers.
Sexton will look to get back on track Wednesday night when the Lakers face the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome on the second night of a back-to-back.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
