Game 1 of the Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers is under the wraps. LeBron James had a monstrous game with a stat line of 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 16 assists. But it was not enough to stop Lillard and the Blazers.
Every player on the Lakers team not named LeBron or AD struggled in the game, with the most obvious ones being Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green. KCP went 0-9 from the field while Green went 4-12. The poor 3 point shooting night is also what ultimately cost Lakers the Game 1 of the series. As a unit, the team shot an abysmal 15.6% on 32 attempts while making only 5 of them.
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Lakers Forward responds to Damian Lillard’s midgame dance
Portland superstar Damian Lillard continued his streak of excellent shooting beyond the 3-point line. It was his crucial 3 pointers during the final stretch of the game that sealed the victory for Rip City. Lillard even put up a few dance moves after scoring a 3 pointer during the fourth quarter of the game.
When Kyle Kuzma was asked his views on this he said, “I didn’t see it, but sh*t. If you’re in a rhythm like that and a confident player, I’d do the same.”
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Kyle Kuzma, when asked about this:
"I didn't see it, but shit. If you're in a rhythm like that and a confident player, I'd do the same." https://t.co/3jy2rMIG5M
— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) August 19, 2020
Like Kuzma said, Dame is in a rhythm right now. King James and AD will have to dig deep into their bag of tricks if Lillard’s form continues in future games as well.
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If the Lakers want to turn things around in the next game, then every player has to step up. The main focus should be on improving the 3 point shooting percentage. This has been a concern for the team since day 1 of entering the Orlando Bubble. Otherwise, a motivated Blazers team led by Damian Lillard can upset the Lakers in a 7 game series.
Can the Lakers bounce back in the coming games or the Blazers will continue to dominate the series? That is the question of the hour.