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Teammates admit to sometimes getting lulled into ball-watching when Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are at the controls of the Lakers’ offense. The highest scoring duo in the NBA is just that dynamic. But Tuesday’s 136-129 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers reinforced that even one of the best offensive backcourts in the league can totally compensate for a championship-winning defense.
“We’ve been relying on our offense a lot,” center Walker Kessler said after the Lakers lost their first game of the season. “And we have a very, very good offense and a lot of great scorers. But that’s not gonna be the only thing that gets us to win a championship here.”
The Lakers (3-1) entered Tuesday’s game as the top scoring offense in the NBA. After Tuesday’s game featuring a matchup of the NBA’s two best offenses, they dropped to 22nd in defensive rating.
Portland guard Damian Lillard shook off uncharacteristically poor free-throw shooting to finish with 21 points and a dagger three-pointer to put the Trail Blazers up by six with 43 seconds left. Portland (3-0) had four players score at least 21 points, led by 23 each from Deni Avdija and Ja Morant. Doncic poured in 41 points with nine assists and Reaves had 26 points with seven assists, four rebounds and no turnovers.
Lakers coach JJ Redick, still mindful that the season is less than a week old, considered the defensive struggles a learning lesson for all coaches and players. He noted breakdowns that could be solved with better adherence to the game plan and understanding of the opposing team’s personnel.
“I don’t think there was any adjustment thing that was to be made,” Reaves said. “I think it was more so us not doing what we were supposed to. Game plan discipline wasn’t great. We got to talk more on the defensive end and just be sharper in our base coverages.”
Rebounding problems have been a nagging issue since preseason. Redick had the team do three different box out drills during a training camp practice after the Lakers were outrebounded by 21 during the first four preseason games combined.
The Lakers almost kept pace on the boards Tuesday — only getting outrebounded 38-31 — and gave up seven offensive rebounds compared to the 15.3 offensive rebounds the Lakers gave up during the first three games. But the boards were still costly. The Trail Blazers had four offensive rebounds during the fourth quarter, which led to five of their 10 second-chance points for the game.
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Kevon Looney, the only full-time center on the Lakers’ roster behind Kessler, played only five minutes and one second Tuesday. He committed two fouls during the cameo appearance and the Lakers’ six-point lead at the end of the first quarter turned into a two-point deficit by the time Looney subbed out.
The brief shift was still the most Looney has played since 14 minutes and 38 seconds in the season opener when he had six points and five rebounds in a rout of the Golden State Warriors. The 30-year-old Looney doesn’t offer close to the same rim protecting, lob threat the Lakers covet in Kessler, but they were hoping the three-time NBA champion could rely on his experience to hold down the position.
“I think his screening,” Redick said Sunday of what he liked about Looney’s minutes during the first two games of the season. “He’s played four-on-three basketball for most of his career, so he’ll end up helping us in the pocket, with his decision-making, his offensive rebounding. I think he’s doing a good job of running, he’s just got to clean up a few things up.”
The Lakers tried Sandro Mamukelashvili at center in some lineups without Kessler on Tuesday. The 6-foot-9 power forward who has experience playing the five during his career had 17 points, four rebounds and two assists against the Trail Blazers.
“I’m trying to help [us] win, first and foremost,” Mamukelashvili said of his objective while filling in at center. “Make sure I rebound, I box out, just be physical, help defensively. And offensively, stretch the floor.
The Georgian forward made three of four three-point shots and six-of-nine from the floor.
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One day after being retroactively fined for flopping on a play against Utah, forward Ziaire Williams was whistled for the violation again during the fourth quarter Tuesday.
Avdija drove on Williams with 3:38 remaining in the fourth quarter and bumped his left shoulder and arm into Williams’ body. Williams stumbled backward and circled both arms backward as Avdija kicked the ball out to Lillard for a three-pointer. Lillard nailed the shot from the wing and tacked on a technical free throw when play was stopped for Williams’ flopping call.
Williams’ violation was one of three called Tuesday by the crew led by Scott Foster. Portland’s Toumani Camara and Morant were also whistled for flops, and all of the calls came in the fourth quarter of a tight game that saw 52 total personal fouls and 71 free throws.
NBA officials have placed a larger emphasis on flopping this season, along with limiting use of off-arm force against defenders, reckless closeouts and time wasting on free throws. Flops are characterized by “exaggerated and theatrical” movements in an attempt to get a call, according to the NBA. Redick said he didn’t believe Williams’ movements rose to that level against Utah, at least.
With 4:44 left in the fourth quarter against Utah and the Lakers trailing by one, Utah’s Keyonte George switched onto Williams. The Jazz guard drove on Williams and was called for a push-off foul as Williams stumbled backward. It was only until the next day that Williams was fined $2,000 for a flop.
“That’s just the way his body naturally moves,” Redick said.
Williams said Tuesday he had not received feedback about the call he thought was a good defensive play against the Jazz.
“I’ll pay my fine,” Williams said before Tuesday’s game, “and if I got to flop again to get a win, then that’s what I’ll do.”
The Lakers turned the ball over on the next possession, but pieced together a 8-1 run during the fourth quarter to pull away for a thrilling nine-point win after trailing by 18 during the second quarter.
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