The Trail Blazers have lost three-straight, the Lakers, four-straight. One of those teams will have their inauspicious streak ended before the weekend, while the other will have to wait for another day to get off the schneid.
The Portland Trail Blazers wrap up a three-game trip and the road portion of the first half of their 2020-21 schedule with a nationally-televised contest versus the Los Angeles Lakers Friday night at Staples Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY
ALL TIME: Lakers lead, 122-109PORTLAND HOME: Trail Blazers lead, 70-44LOS ANGELES HOME: Lakers lead, 78-39LAST PORTLAND WIN: 115-107, 12/28/20 (Los Angeles)LAST LOS ANGELES WIN: 128-120, 12/28/19 (Portland)CURRENT WIN STREAK: Two (Portland)
SERIES NOTES
• Portland's Feb. 26 game against Los Angeles will be the second meeting between the Trail Blazers and Lakers during the 2020-21 season. The final game will be played during the Second Half of the season. Portland leads the season series, 1-0.
• LAST MEETING: In Portland's third outing of the season on December 28, the Trail Blazers took down the Lakers, 115-107, in Los Angeles. Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 31 points (10-16 FG, 5-10 3-PT, 6-6 FT), four rebounds, five assists and one block. LeBron James led the Lakers with 29 points (11-20 FG, 3-7 3-PT, 4-5 FT), nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block. • Damian Lillard has scored at least 30 points in each of his last three games against the Lakers, and his career-scoring average of 27.9 points against Los Angeles is his second-highest against any team.
• Gary Trent Jr. scored a season-high 28 points (10-14 FG, 7-11 3-PT, 1-2 FT), to go with three rebounds and an assist on Dec. 28 against the Lakers, marking the second-highest scoring total of his career.
• LeBron James has recorded at least 20 points in each of his last four games against Portland, and his career-average of 9.0 rebounds against the Trail Blazers is his highest against any team.
• Dennis Schroder recorded 24 points (8-16 FG, 1-2 3-PT, 7-7 FT), four rebounds, four assists and one steal against the Trail Blazers on Dec. 28. Schroder has finished with at least 20 points in two of his last three games against the Trail Blazers.
• MILESTONE WATCH: Carmelo Anthony (9,613 career FGM) is two made field goals from passing Robert Parish for 17th on the NBA all-time list. Next up is Patrick Ewing at 9,702.
• CONNECTION: Lakers guard Wesley Matthews spent five season with the Trail Blazers, appearing in 359 games and starting in 333. He posted averages of 15.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, and his 826 made three-pointers are the third- most in Trail Blazer history (Lillard, McCollum).
LAST THREE GAMES
Game #31 - Denver 111, Portland 106 — Feb. 23, 2021, Ball Arena, Denver
Portland wasn't able to overcome 41 points from Nikola Jokic as the Nuggets took down the Trail Blazers, 111-106 in Colorado... The Nuggets committed total turnover as a team, breaking the record for fewest turnovers in a game... The Trail Blazers were perfect from the FT line for a league-leading fourth time this season... Damian Lillard led Portland with 25 points (9-21 FG, 4-11 3-PT, 3-3 FT) seven rebounds and 13 assists ... Carmelo Anthony tied a season-high with 24 points (9-17 FG, 3-7 3-PT, 3-3 FT), as well as four rebounds and one assist... Derrick Jones Jr. scored a season-high 18 points (7-9 FG, 2-3 3-PT, 2-2 FT), to go with five rebounds and three blocks... Enes Kanter recorded his 16th double-double of the season, finishing with 16 points, 14 rebounds and two assists... Nikola Jokic led the nuggets with 41 points (17-32 FG, 3-6 3-PT, 4-4 FT), five rebounds and five assists... Jamal Murray added 24 points, five rebounds and eight assists.
Game #30 - Phoenix 132, Portland 100 — Feb. 22, 2021, Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix
The Trail Blazers fell to the Suns, 132-100 under the weight of 34 points from Devin Booker and 64 points from the Phoenix bench unit on Monday evening... Portland made 10+ three-pointers for the 43rd consecutive game, the fourth longest streak in NBA history... The Suns' 132 points tied a season-high in scoring... Damian Lillard led Portland with 24 points (9-17 FG, 1-7 3-PT, 5-6 FT) and seven assists over 29 minutes of action... Nassir Little added 18 points (4-7 FG, 3-6 3-PT, 7-8 FT) and five boards off the bench... Gary Trent Jr. finished with 11 points, and extended his franchise record of games with at least three 3PM to 11... Carmelo Anthony scored 10 points (4-9 FG, 2-3 3-PT) to go with three rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes off the bench... Devin Booker led the Suns with 34 points (12-17 FG, 2-2 3-PT, 8-8 FT), four rebounds and four assists... Deandre Ayton added 19 points (8-11 FG, 3-3 FT), five rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Game #29 - Washington 118, Portland 111 — Feb. 20, 2021, Moda Center, Portland
Despite scoring a season-high 43 first quarter points, the Trail Blazers were not able to outlast the Wizards, falling 118-111 at Moda Center ... Portland made at least 18 three-pointers for a franchise-record fourth consecutive contest ... Damian Lillard led Portland with 35 points (10-30 FG, 7-17 3-PT, 8-8 FT), six rebounds and 12 assists ... It was Lillard's fourth straight game with at least 30 points and 10 assists ... Enes Kanter added 19 points (8-12 FG, 3-5 FT), 13 rebounds, one assist and one steal ... Gary Trent Jr, had 16 points (6-16 FG, 4-11 3-PT), three rebounds and two steals in 39 minutes ... Robert Covington recorded his second double-double of the season, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds ... Bradley Beal led Washington with 37 points (16-27 FG, 2-8 3-PT, 3-4 FT), seven rebounds and three assists ... Russell Westbrook recorded his league-leading eighth triple-double, finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.
INJURY NOTES
Harry Giles (left calf strain), CJ McCollum (left midfoot fracture), Jusuf Nurkic (right wrist fracture) and Zach Collins (left ankle stress fracture) are all out for Friday’s game in Denver.
As for the Lakers, LeBron James (left ankle; sprain), Kyle Kuzma (back; strain), Markieff Morris (right ankle; sprain) and Dennis Schroder (health and safety protocols) are probable; Anthony Davis (right calf; strain) is out.
BROADCAST NOTES
Friday’s game can be seen NBC Sports NW. It will also air nationally on ESPN. The game can be heard on Rip City Radio 620 AM and on all of the stations of the Deschutes Brewery Trail Blazers Radio Network.