The Portland Trail Blazers are capping their California two-game road trip tonight against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers. With both squads enjoying early-season success, the matchup is arguably the most difficult for either team thus far and the first of four face-offs this season.
The bout marks Portland's first nationally televised game of the 2026-27 season. The Blazers are 2-0 with victories over the Phoenix Suns (1-2) — a 41-point walloping — and the Sacramento Kings (0-3). Los Angeles, meanwhile, sits 3-0, recording wins over the Golden State Warriors (1-3), Los Angeles Clippers (1-2) and Utah Jazz (1-3).
Starting units
Portland is led by Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard at 22 points per game apiece. Avdija adds 8.5 rebounds and five assists per game while Lillard boasts averages of four rebounds and four assists per game. Toumani Camara is the Blazers next highest score at 18.5 points per game, shooting 52.9 percent from 3-point range this year.
New addition Ja Morant, meanwhile, enters with averages of 13 points, four rebounds, 7.5 assists and two steals. Starting center Donovan Clingan, despite logging just over 20 minutes per game, is averaging 9.5 points, nine rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
Luka Doncic — who's coming off a 52-point double-double against Utah — leads the Lakers at 34.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and eight assists per game. Austin Reaves is behind him at 26.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per contest. Walker Kessler, who the Lakers acquired via trade in the summer, anchors the middle, averaging 16.7 points, eight rebounds, 1.3 assists and three blocks.
Ziaire Williams is managing 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists per game on 52.2 percent shooting from the field and 41.7 percent from 3-point range. Former Blazer Matisse Thybulle rounds out the Lakers' starting five with nine points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, holding a 46.7 percent clip from beyond the arc.
Portland won last year's season series 2-1. Los Angeles lead the all-time series 134-117.
Connections
Thybulle, who spent four years in Portland, is the most recent Blazers' connection, but he's not the only one, or the most notable. That belongs to Los Angeles' associate head coach Nate McMillan, who served as Portland's head coach from 2005-12, compiling a 266-269 (.497) overall record in 535 games, leading the Blazers to three consecutive playoff appearances from 2009-11.
Lakers assistant coach Scott Brooks spent multiple years with the Blazers, serving a tenure from 2021-24. During his time as head coach of the Washington Wizards he coached Avdija for one season (2020-21). Trail Blazers assistant coach Quinton Crawford won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020, coaching in Los Angeles as an assistant from 2019-22.
There's plenty of play crossovers; only a couple standout. Morant was teammates with Los Angeles' Ziaire Williams and Jake Laravia for multiple seasons on the Memphis Grizzlies. Lakers' head coach JJ Redick and the Blazers' Jrue Holiday spent time as teammates on the New Orleans Pelicans for the 2019-20 season. Portland assistant coach Jay Triano was selected by the Lakers in the eighth round of the 1981 NBA Draft.
The Blazers-Lakers game is set for an 8 p.m. tip-off on NBC.
Injury report
Four Blazers are officially ruled out as of Wednesday morning. Shaedon Sharpe is out with a torn right meniscus. Jayson Kent, Chris Youngblood and John Tonje will be busy with Portland's G-League team the Rip City Remix. Branden Carlson is questionable due to concussion protocol along with Scoot Henderson for left ankle soreness.
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