It looks like the Lakers are just getting better. After a humbling Game 1 loss to no. 8 seeded Portland Trail Blazers, roared the Lakers back and beat the stuffing out of the Blazers in Game 2, 111-88. They were led by a stellar outing from Anthony Davis, who gave them 31 points, 11 rebounds and top-notch defense. More importantly, after shooting a terrible 5-of-32 on 3-pointers in the opener, the Lakers beat them 14-38 last night.
Now the pressure is on Portland to respond, and they will not be at 100 percent if they try to do so. Damian Lillard dislocated his left index finger in the third quarter, and even if he plays, he will likely be less than his typical superstar himself. That only adds to Portland’s disappointment after such a big blowout. The Lakers took Portland’s best punch in Game 1. Now they’re in control of the first two games in the books.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
1. Anthony Davis asserted himself
It was not Anthony Davis’ 31 points that swung this game for the Lakers. It was how he got them. While he rained jumpers in the second half, 16 of his 21 points came out of the paint in the first half. After I got the ball from Hassan Whiteside and Jusuf Nurkic in Game 1, that’s exactly what the Lakers needed.
Great has been her identity all season. Although it came with disadvantages in terms of perimeter defense and shooting, the Lakers would never have to lose a game in the locks, as they did in Game 1. The victory of the evening was a reminder that the Lakers still possessed the paint, and Davis led the way.
2. Where will Portland’s points come from?
The Blazers averaged 126 points per game in their eight seeding games. They are averaging 94 per game against the Lakers, which is after 30 points of waste time in the fourth quarter of Game 2. Now Lillard has to deal with an injury, and although he will likely play in Game 3, they cannot pay a lesser version of him. It took 61 points from him alone to defeat the Node 7 seed in the Western Conference. What will it take for them to defeat the Lakers? Especially with CJ McCollum dealing with a fractured lower back.
Carmelo Anthony averaged 16.5 points per game on 45.6 percent shooting during the seeding games. He is 4-of-17 from the field. Gary Trent Jr. shot more than 50 percent from behind the arc in his eight-seeded games. He has only 13 total points in this series. Someone other than Lillard and McCollum will have to score for the Blazers to have any kind of chance in this series. It’s not like the Lakers shot the lights out in this game. Their 36.8 percent mark on 3s is essentially what they should be averaging for the series. If Portland can not keep up, their playoff run will be over in a few days.
3. LeBron in the post is even killer
It’s a small remark, especially considering how passive LeBron was overall in Game 2, but for a stretch in the second quarter, he absolutely removed Gary Trent in the post. The Blazers had no choice but to double down, and LeBron, who was the NBA’s best post-passer, killed them by hitting the open man.
It won’t make much sense for an odd series like this, but it’s a storyline to watch with the Rockets struggling in Round 2. LeBron will likely play some center in that series, and his ability to double down in the post (which Houston loves to throw out) will create a lot of good looks for the Lakers.
