Yang Hansen entered in the final quarter! Doncic absent, LeBron James posts 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists but fails to save the team; Trail Blazers dominate Lakers

On January 18th, during the 25-26 NBA regular season, the Trail Blazers defeated the Lakers 132-116. In this game, Doncic was absent, and LeBron James scored 20 points with 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Yang Hansen came off the bench near the end of the fourth quarter and committed one turnover.

Statistics

Lakers: LeBron James 20 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists; Smart 25 points, 2 rebounds; Timmy 21 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists; Kleber 11 points, 5 rebounds

Trail Blazers: Sharpe 25 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists; Love 22 points, 7 assists; Grant 22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists; Klingen 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists

Game Progress

Kleber started hot with aggressive drives and outside shooting, leading the Lakers to an early scoring run. The Trail Blazers quickly responded, fighting back hard. After Sharpe hit a three-pointer, the Blazers took the lead. The Lakers tried to launch a new offensive wave, but the Blazers maintained momentum, scoring heavily from free throws and three-pointers to build a 13-point lead by the end of the first quarter. Notably, the Blazers made 17 of 22 free throws in the opening quarter. In the second quarter, both teams exchanged outside shots. After Grant nailed a clutch three-pointer for the Blazers, they led by 11. Towards the end of the quarter, both sides traded points via jump shots, free throws, and fast-break layups. At halftime, the Trail Blazers led 71-61, with LeBron James contributing 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists.

After the break, the teams continued to trade baskets in a tightly contested start to the third quarter. Midway through the period, the Lakers’ shooting cooled off, allowing the Trail Blazers to capitalize. Kamara, Sharpe, and Holiday hit four consecutive three-pointers, extending Portland’s lead to 17 points. Grant then added more three-pointers to further widen the gap, though the Lakers managed to slightly close it down. After three quarters, the Trail Blazers held a 17-point advantage. In the final quarter, the Lakers launched a new comeback attempt with outside shooting, but Kamara and Sharpe responded with more threes to stabilize Portland’s position. With a large deficit and little time left, the outcome was decided, and Yang Hansen entered as a substitute in the closing moments. Ultimately, the Trail Blazers secured a convincing win over the Lakers.

Starting Lineups

Lakers: LeBron James, Smart, Vincent, LaRavia, Kleber

Trail Blazers: Sharpe, Kamara, Sisoko, Holiday, Klingen