Moda Center will be packed with Blazers fans screaming \u201cBeat LA\u201d and Lakers fans decked out in purple and gold tonight as the beat-up Portland Trail Blazers host the battered visiting Los Angeles Lakers. Each team\u2019s roster is decimated by injury to key contributors.<\/p>\n
LA will sit Luka Don\u010di\u0107, Austin Reaves (and perhaps Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes). The team has lost four out of its last five games including a Thursday night drubbing meted out by the Charlotte Hornets. While Luka, the Chosen One and the Chosen Son (h\/t Blazer\u2019s Edge commenter ThrowItDownBigMan) have led the Lakers to a better record (24-15) than the Blazers (20-22), LA\u2019s season has been marred by porous defense, inconsistent play and locker room drama. The team enters Portland during a stretch of five games in seven nights.<\/p>\n
On the Home side of the court, the Blazers will also trot out a skeleton crew. Deni Avdija is listed as doubtful with what is now being called a back strain. The return of Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant to the lineup restored a point guard and a veteran scorer to the floor. But, those two are listed as questionable tonight as the team manages recovery from their injuries. If Portland\u2019s hungry young guys can take advantage of the Lakers\u2019 lack of defensive commitment, the Blazers could give those opposing fans something to stick in their craw on the drive home.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Lakers – (24-15) at Portland Trail Blazers (20-22) Wed., Jan. 17 – 7:00pm Pacific<\/p>\n
How to watch via antenna or cable: See your options on the<\/a> Rip City Television Network<\/a><\/p>\n How to stream: BlazerVision in Oregon and Washington; League Pass everywhere else<\/p>\n How to listen: Trail Blazers Audio Network<\/a><\/p>\n SB Nation Affiliate: Silver Screen and Roll<\/a><\/p>\n Trail Blazers Injuries: Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard, Kris Murray, Matisse Thybulle, Blake Wesley (Out); Deni Avdija (Doubtful); Jerami Grant, Jrue Holiday (Questionable).<\/p>\n Lakers injuries: Luka Don\u010di\u0107, Austin Reaves, Adou Thiero (Out); Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes (Questionable).<\/p>\n Kit: The Blazers will take the floor in its carpet Icon Edition<\/a> jerseys. Los Angeles will wear its white Association Edition unis.<\/p>\n In the last week: Trail Blazers: W vs HOU, L vs NY, L vs GSW, W vs ATL<\/p>\n Lakers: L at SAC, W vs ATL, L vs CHA<\/p>\n Stat Leaders: Trail Blazers:<\/a> Points, Avdija (26.1 per game). Rebounds, Clingan (10.7). Assists, Holiday (7.3). Steals, Thybulle (2.5). Blocks, Clingan (1.3). Tale of the Tape: Trail Blazers:<\/a> Offensive rating: 113.1 (23rd place) Defensive rating: 115.5 (17th place) Up Next: The game is the first of two Blazers back-to-backs this week. The team plays LA at home tonight and at Sacramento tomorrow. Portland returns home to host Miami Thursday and Toronto Friday.<\/p>\n Inching Closer to Full Health<\/p>\n Just as President Ulysses S. Grant<\/a> helped stabilize the country\u2019s post-Civil-War economy, the return of veteran forward Jerami Grant helped fuel the Blazers\u2019 victory over the Hawks. The team needs scoring and Grant can deliver when healthy and available.<\/p>\n Blazers center Donovan Clingan talked about Grant\u2019s impact with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian<\/a> after his return to the lineup:<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a special player and a big part of this team,\u201d Clingan said of Grant. \u201cHe has the ability to knock down big-time shots. He allows us to have more guys out there who can guard 1 through 5. His activity, his knowledge, it\u2019s important. He\u2019s a vet in this league and he\u2019s been doing it for a long time. So, really, just having that is big time for us.\u201d<\/p>\n As if the on-the-court issues weren\u2019t enough for the Lakers to navigate, ESPN\u2019s Dave McMenamin wrote about how intrigue broke out in the stands<\/a> during a recent game in reaction to Adele\u2019s husband-to-be, longtime James confidant and super agent Rich Paul publicly calling for the team to trade Austin \u201cStone Cold\u201d Reaves.<\/p>\n One of Reaves\u2019 agents, Reggie Berry of AMR Agency, approached Paul on the sideline near half court at halftime of the Lakers-Hawks game Tuesday. The two spoke for more than five minutes and the topic of conversation was Paul\u2019s public trade scenario regarding Reaves, sources told ESPN.<\/p>\n Still on the Blazers\u2019 Payroll<\/p>\n While Donovan Clingan continues to thrive as a Portland starter, Deandre Ayton\u2019s inconsistent play has become a hallmark of this edition of the Lakers. LA coach, JJ Reddick knows Ayton can offer more than he regularly shows. Reddick left Ayton on the bench in two recent fourth quarters, a storyline Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the LA Times wrote about<\/a>:<\/p>\n Ayton\u2019s energy has appeared to fluctuate in recent games, including two games in which he did not finish the fourth quarter on the court. Ayton promised to be a defensive anchor for the team that picked him up in free agency after he flamed out with Portland last season, and the 7-footer has been good, Redick said, \u201cwhen he\u2019s engaged.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt just, you know, just more consistency,\u201d Redick said. \u201cHe\u2019s shown he can do it \u2026 Deandre\u2019s told on himself: he can be a really good defender.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, after the Lakers\u2019 loss to Charlotte, Marcus Smart appeared to call out Lakers leading scorer, Don\u010di\u0107<\/a>, for his histrionics.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of getting back (on defense), we\u2019re talking to the officials a lot,\u201d Smart said. \u201cWe gotta be able to play on and move on to the next play.\u201d<\/p>\n In a sign of his diminished leadership role, the 41-year-old James did not address the media after the Hornets\u2019 victory. But Smart wasn\u2019t done. In comments you might expect from a team\u2019s coach or best player, the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year questioned the effort of his teammates<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, it doesn\u2019t matter who it is. Doesn\u2019t matter the team, doesn\u2019t matter the player,\u201c Marcus Smart<\/a> said. \u201cIf they were shooting 20% [before], they\u2019re shooting 50%. And it\u2019s unfortunate, but that\u2019s part of the game. It\u2019s tough. We got to figure it out. We got to play with a little bit more urgency on that end, especially, and kind of impose our will. It\u2019s not easy. Especially when you play for the Lakers, you always are the hunted\u2014 no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lakers:<\/a> Points, Don\u010di\u0107 (36.6 per game). Rebounds, Ayton (8.7). Assists, Don\u010di\u0107 (8.7). Steals, Don\u010di\u0107 (1.6). Blocks, Ayton (1).<\/p>\n
Lakers:<\/a> Offensive rating: 116.8 (8th place) Defensive rating: 117.6 (26th place)<\/p>\n