LOS ANGELES — LeBron James had 31 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, Austin Reaves added a season-high 22 points and the Los Angeles Lakers rebounded from a heartbreaking loss with a 128-109 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.
Anthony Davis had 27 points and 12 rebounds in the Lakers' sixth victory in eight games. Los Angeles shook off a gut-wrenching loss to Indiana in which it blew a late 17-point lead by taking an 18-point lead early in the fourth against Portland and holding on comfortably to beat a team with a winning record for the first time since Nov. 2.
James hit six 3-pointers while going 12 for 18 from the field in an outstanding performance by the second-leading scorer in NBA history, while Russell Westbrook hit buzzer-beating 3-pointers to end the second and third quarters on the way to 10 points.
Damian Lillard missed his sixth straight game with a strained calf muscle for the Blazers, who have lost seven of eight overall. Jerami Grant scored 27 points, Anfernee Simons had 22 and Justise Winslow added a season-high 21.
The Lakers played without starters Lonnie Walker and Troy Brown Jr., who were both ruled out shortly before game time with sore left feet.
Grant followed up his 32-point performance in Portland against the Clippers one night earlier with a 17-point first half against the Lakers, but James hit his first seven shots and Westbrook hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to put Los Angeles up 66-62.
Westbrook hit another buzzer-beating 3-pointer from near the half-court line to end the third quarter, giving Los Angeles a 97-82 lead. After blowing a big lead Monday, Davis and James never allowed this margin to dip into single digits against Portland.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: F Josh Hart and F Nassir Little both missed their first games of the season. Hart, who began his career with the Lakers, has a sprained left ankle, with coach Chauncey Billups saying Hart “got it pretty good. He's such a warrior, but I knew this morning (that he wouldn't play)". ... Little has a right hip strain. He will have further imaging done Thursday. ... Trendon Watford had 10 points and 10 rebounds in his first start of the season.
Lakers: Patrick Beverley scored five points in 22 minutes in his return to the starting lineup after serving a three-game suspension for hitting Phoenix's Deandre Ayton from behind. ... Brown hurt himself during a light workout Wednesday morning. ... Walker's absence was a surprise, since he wasn't on the injury list.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At Utah on Saturday.
Lakers: At Milwaukee on Friday to open a six-game road trip.
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