The Los Angeles Lakers are taking on the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night and looking to extend their road winning streak to 11 games. Here’s the three keys to victory if they want to make sure that happens.
After two tough, back to back road games against the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz, both of which resulted in a Laker victory, the team is heading to the Pacific Northwest to battle against Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.
After making it to the Western Conference Finals last season, the Blazers have been struggling to even make it into the top eight of the Western Conference. The team is currently on the outside looking in with a record of 9-13, but have been on the upswing after signing Carmelo Anthony.
The Blazers have been one of the teams hit hardest by the injury bug, as both their starting center and power forward, Jusuf Nurkić and Zach Collins are currently out with significant injuries for the foreseeable future, with no timetable set for either’s return.
For the Lakers, Avery Bradley is still working his way back from a hairline fracture in his right foot, but fortunately there aren’t any other players listed on the injury report.
For a team fighting desperately to find their footing and make a playoff push, the Lakers cannot take the Blazers lightly, They are much better than their record would suggest, and have one of the most dangerous offensive players in the league in Damian Lillard.
In what should prove to be a fun, Friday night game, here are the three keys to victory for the Los Angeles Lakers.