LeBron James delivered a dominant 38-point performance, leading the Los Angeles Lakers (20-14) to a 114-106 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers (12-22) on Thursday night. Despite the absence of Anthony Davis, Los Angeles secured its sixth win in eight games, holding off a late push by Portland.
James showcased his range, connecting on a season-high seven 3-pointers, while Max Christie contributed a career-high 28 points, including five triples. Austin Reaves added 15 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds, stepping up in Davis’ absence to orchestrate the Lakers’ offense.
Davis missed the game to rest his sprained left ankle, which he injured on Christmas. Gabe Vincent was also sidelined with a hip injury, leaving Los Angeles thin in its rotation. Jaxson Hayes, starting in Davis’ place, chipped in four points and six rebounds in his return from a 15-game injury absence.
The Trail Blazers were led by Anfernee Simons, who scored 23 points, with 11 coming in the fourth quarter. Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija each tallied 19 points, but Portland’s late rally fell short. The Blazers made a 14-4 run to cut the Lakers’ lead to 103-100 with under two minutes remaining.
James and Christie closed the game strong, combining for 11 points in the final moments. James sealed the win with his seventh 3-pointer, a dagger with 59 seconds left. Over his past four games, the 40-year-old forward has hit 14 of 24 shots from beyond the arc, further proving his elite status.
Los Angeles also saw valuable minutes from its bench, including Dorian Finney-Smith and Christian Koloko, who combined for 11 points and 12 rebounds.
The Trail Blazers, now losers of four of their last six games, received a solid outing from Scoot Henderson, who recorded 12 points and eight assists. However, Deandre Ayton managed just six points and six rebounds in 21 minutes, leaving Portland with limited impact inside.