Lakers vs Portland Trailblazers Preview: Where and When to Watch
After dropping their Staples Center opener last week, the Lakers look to get a win in front of the home fans against Damian Lillard and the Trailblazers
For the first time this preseason, the Lakers will play a team with playoff aspirations. While the Denver Nuggets might make a late push for the highly coveted No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, their is no guarantee with their young, unproven talent.
Portland, however, has an abundance of young, proven talent and added Evan Turner, Festus Ezeli and Shabazz Napier this summer. Not to mention their All-Star backcourt in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, who is coming off of a breakout season with Portland.
Los Angeles will have to be at their best if they want to walk away with the win tonight. But with the recent breakout of D’Angelo Russell and the Lakers bench mob, it is possible they shock the Trailblazers.
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Following the win over the Nuggets on Sunday, Russell made it clear that he plans on winning games this season, even if this is supposed to be a rebuilding team.
” … we don’t want to go through losing seasons,” Russell said. “We don’t want to go through, rebuilding as an excuse of losing. We’re rebuilding, but we still find a way to win games and we’re capable. We have the pieces … ”
Defense is going to be key for the Purple and Gold tonight if they hope to contain Lillard, who was fourth in the NBA in 3-point field goals and sixth in points per game for the 2015-16 season. It will also be interesting to see how Lou Williams fairs guarding McCollum, assuming Luke Walton doesn’t make any changes to the starting lineup.
A win tonight would send a message to the rest of the league that the Lakers aren’t going to settle for another 17-win season.
Portland Trailblazers at Los Angeles Lakers
Date: Tuesday, October 11
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. PT
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Arena: STAPLS Center
TV Info: Spectrum Sportsnet, NBATV
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