The Portland Trail Blazers cruised to a 132-116 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers Saturday night at Moda Center.
Shaedon Sharpe led Portland with 25 points, while Jerami Grant and Caleb Love each added 22, helping the Blazers win seven of their last nine games.
The Lakers were without star guard Luka Doncic due to left groin soreness, and center Deandre Ayton remained sidelined with a knee issue.
Marcus Smart scored 25 points but left the game in the fourth quarter with an injury, while LeBron James contributed 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Portland built an early lead, stretching to 14 points in the first half and holding a 71-61 advantage at the break.
The Lakers briefly closed the gap in the third quarter when James assisted Smart on a three-pointer, but Sharpe responded with a dunk to restore momentum.
Portland extended its lead to 24 points late in the fourth, prompting coach JJ Redick to bench James with 5:40 remaining.
Drew Timme added 21 points off the bench for Los Angeles, but the team struggled without Doncic’s scoring and Ayton’s presence inside.
The Trail Blazers shot 52 percent overall and 38 percent from three-point range, controlling the pace on both ends of the floor.
The win improved Portland to 20-22 and reinforced its recent surge in the Western Conference standings.
Los Angeles fell to 24-15, struggling to close games without its top scorer and dealing with mid-game injuries.
The Blazers visit the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, while the Lakers return home to host the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.
