On Monday night, the Los Angeles Lakers saw their five-game winning streak come to an end in large part due to Damian Lillard.
Coming into Monday night, the Los Angeles Lakers were riding a five-game winning streak since the All-Star break. Despite injuries to Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram, the Lakers have been able to find a way to win games.
On Monday, it looked like the Lakers were well on their way to their sixth straight win. Early on in the game, the Lakers were able to survive a very slow start on the offensive end. With their defense playing at a much higher level the past few games, it was able to keep them close with the Trail Blazers until the offense woke up a bit.
In the third quarter, the Lakers were able to take control of the game with a great frame. They won the third by a score of 25-15 and entered the fourth with a seven-point lead. Due to the Lakers being able to get in the bonus ridiculously early in the quarter, they did a good job making the most of it at the free throw line.
During the fourth quarter, the Lakers appeared like they were on their way to a win. However, Damian Lillard caught fire in the fourth quarter and changed the game. The great performance by Lillard didn’t come as too much of a surprise, as he is a noted thorn in the Lakers’ side.
After the game, Lonzo Ball took the blame for Lillard going off in the fourth. Here’s what he had to say via Matthew Moreno of LakersNation.com.
"“That’s on me, that’s my matchup,” “On the first one, that’s what got him hot. He came down and pulled up. I had my hands down,” Ball said."
For a player like Lillard, sometimes it only takes him one good look to get going from the field, and that certainly appeared to be the case in the fourth quarter. While Lillard did score 39 points in the game, 15 of those came in the fourth quarter, which included four three-pointers.
Even though Lonzo hit a big three-pointer late in the game that gave the Lakers hope, it was an off night for the rookie. Foul trouble in the first half forced him to sit on the bench for a good part of the second quarter, as he picked up his third foul with over five minutes to play. Overall, Lonzo totaled 10 points, two rebounds, and two assists, as Lillard clearly got the better of him in the starting point guard matchup.
Next: 6 Takeaways from four-game road trip
Next up for the Lakers will be a very winnable game on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic. Since the Magic are one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference, the Lakers should be in a prime position to get back in the win column.