LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Anthony Davis had 31 points and 11 rebounds and the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from an opening loss to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 111-88 on Thursday night in Game 2 of the first-round Western Conference playoff series.
LeBron James had 10 points, six rebounds, seven assists and six turnovers.. He had 23 points, 17 rebounds and a playoff career-high 16 rebounds in Game 1.
The Trail Blazers stunned the Lakers 100-93 in Game 1, but things went horribly wrong in Game 2. A poor performance got worse when All-Star guard Damian Lillard dislocated the index finger on his left hand in the third quarter. He left the game for good, and the team said X-rays were negative.
Lillard was held to 18 points after ripping the Lakers for 34 in Game 1.
Davis scored 21 points in the first half to help the Lakers take a 56-39 lead. The Trail Blazers’ high-powered offence shot 35% in the half.
Early in the third quarter, Davis aggressively grabbed a defensive rebound, then fired a long pass to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a breakaway jam that gave the Lakers a 63-41 lead.
The Lakers continued to pour it on and led 88-58 after three quarters. Los Angeles led by 32 points in the period.
Most of the starters for both teams sat out the fourth quarter.
TIP-INS
Blazers: Shot 40% overall. … Made just 8 of 29 3-pointers. … CJ McCollum scored 13 points on 6-for-16 shooting.
Lakers: Rajon Rondo, listed as questionable after having right thumb surgery, was inactive. … Caldwell-Pope scored 16 points.
UP NEXT
Game 3 will be Saturday.
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