LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are hitting their stride.
The Purple and Gold won their fourth game in a row and moved to 6-1 in their last seven with a 126-117 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday at Staples Center. Portland saw its four-game winning streak come to an end as it dropped to 10-4 on the season.
James passed Wilt Chamberlain (31,419 points) for fifth on the all-time scoring list and was dominant throughout with 44 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and three blocks. JaVale McGee added 20 points, but Wednesday was all about the King.
Damian Lillard spearheaded Portland's effort with 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
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James put on a show for the Staples Center fans starting when he drilled back-to-back three-pointers to end the half, pulling up from well behind the line on one of them. It gave the Lakers a 59-55 halftime advantage and helped swing the tide of the game after Portland built a 13-point lead in the second quarter.
That he went 5-of-6 from three-point range forced the Trail Blazers to be even more hyper aware of James wherever he was on the floor, which allowed him to consistently drive the lane in the second half with defenders pulled further from the rim.
Not only did that help him score, it set the stage for him to challenge for a triple-double because teammates were open upon his penetration.
Kevin O'Connor @KevinOConnorNBALeBron James reminded everybody tonight that he can be the world's best player whenever he wants to be. What a performance. https://t.co/TcNcugV8Cg
Blazers Still Legit Contenders Despite Loss
Lillard, CJ McCollum (23 points), Jusuf Nurkic (21 points and 14 rebounds) and Al-Farouq Aminu (18 points) were all forces on the offensive end, and the team as a whole shot 42.4 percent from deep. It was business as usual even in a loss seeing as how Portland entered play fourth in the league in offensive rating, per NBA.com, and has used its red-hot offense to establish itself in the early standings.
The formula is there for the Trail Blazers to be a dominant offense throughout the season, with Lillard and McCollum leading the way as two backcourt scorers who can take over a game at a moment's notice with lethal three-point shooting and explosiveness to get into the paint and either score themselves or set up teammates for open looks.
Elsewhere, Nurkic is a double-double threat every time he steps on the floor. He can score on the blocks and benefit from the additional attention Lillard and McCollum attract by receiving lobs and dump-offs.
Portland also has Evan Turner and Zach Collins to carry the second unit. Turner is a capable ball-handler and creator, while Collins is a big who can score on the inside or occasionally stretch the floor as a matchup problem.
The question is how Portland will respond come April, especially after it was swept by the New Orleans Pelicans as a No. 3 seed in the first round of last season's playoffs. It scored more than 102 points just once in that series and didn't have the firepower to keep up with Anthony Davis and Co.
This season's version of the offense is proving to be a different story, and the fact the Western Conference is wide open behind the Golden State Warriors suggests the Trail Blazers can ride the offensive efficiency during a deep playoff run.
Golden State is in a league of its own even with off-court drama generating headlines, but the Houston Rockets have been a mess, the inconsistent Lakers are flirting around .500, and expected contenders in the Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs and Pelicans are all at or around .500. What's more, the Denver Nuggets are unproven and haven't been to the postseason since the 2012-13 campaign.
It came up short in a single game Wednesday, but Portland has the offensive weapons to challenge the best the West has to offer over the course of the season.
What's Next?
Both teams are on the road for their next game, with the Trail Blazers facing the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday and the Lakers playing the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
