Whatever NBA bettors thought about the Portland Trail Blazers going into their first-round series with the L.A. Lakers can go right out the window. The No. 8 seed dismissed criticism of their shoddy regular-season defense by limiting the Western Conference's top team to just 93 points in a stunning Game 1 victory that sets the stage for a tantalizing rematch Thursday night.
- Date/Time: August 20, 9 p.m. ET
- Arena: AdventHealth Arena
- TV Coverage: ESPN, SPSN, NBCNW
- Sportsbook Odds: Lakers -5.5 | O/U 226.5 (Line History)
- Blazers vs Lakers Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Lakers still have the faith of the oddsmakers, who opened them at -5.5 and have since moved them to -6.5. The 226.5 Sportsbook total has risen to 229 despite the teams playing the lowest-scoring Game 1 of the postseason.
Portland News & Notes
The Trail Blazers will get plenty of plaudits for their defensive performance against LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the shell-shocked Lakers – but it masked what was a subpar showing on the offensive end. The Blazers shot below 40 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 16 times in the Game 1 triumph, leading to 20 Lakers points.
These are minor quibbles when you earn the W – but it's clear that Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum will need more help than he got in Game 1 if the Blazers hope to complete the series upset. The dynamic backcourt duo accounted for 55 of Portland's 100 points, while the rest of the starting lineup managed just 31 points on a combined 9-of-24 shooting from the field.
LA Lakers News & Notes
Lillard and McCollum aren't the only players in this series looking for a little extra assistance heading into Game 2. LeBron was simply sensational in defeat with 23 points, 17 rebounds and a playoff career-high 16 assists. But while he and Davis (28 points) were typically strong, the rest of the Los Angeles lineup produced just 42 points as the team went 5-for-32 from long range.
Getting Rajon Rondo back might not completely reverse the team's offensive fortunes, but it would certainly help. And there's positive news in that regard, with the point guard having entered the NBA bubble and is practicing in a limited fashion as he works his way back from a fractured left thumb. Rondo, who is considered day-to-day, averaged 7.1 points and 5.0 assists this season.
Betting Pick: Lakers ATS
Great teams bounce back from poor series openers – and the Lakers fit the bill, despite how they looked in Game 1. Look for L.A. to rediscover its touch from long range and even this series up with emphasis.
- POR is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games vs LAL.
- Lillard has averaged 35.5 PPG in 4 games vs LAL this year.
- The Lakers are 1-8 ATS in 9 bubble games.
