Lillard, Blazers Rain 3 Pointers on Lakers in Rout; LeBron Still Out With Ankle Injury

• The Portland Trail Blazers returned to winning ways with a convincing victory over the Los Angeles Lakers
• Damian Lillard and the Blazers were red-hot from beyond the arc, setting a franchise record in the process
• The Lakers continued to struggle with scoring king LeBron James still sidelined with an ankle injury

The Portland Trail Blazers made easy work of the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night, relying on their hot shooting to crush the 17-time NBA champions 127-115.

The Blazers made a season-best 23 3-pointers against the Lakers, 17 of which came in the first half.

Those 17 makes from beyond the arc in the opening half set a new franchise record for Portland.

Damian Lillard led the way for the Blazers, scoring 40 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out five assists in 34 minutes of action. He shot 13 of 23 from the field, including 8 of 14 from deep, per ESPN.

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The guard got some help from his fellow Blazers, with four other Portland players scoring in double figures.

Blazers' hot shooting deflates Lakers

Starters, Anfernee Simons and Matisse Thybulle each scored 14 points while reserves, Shaedon Sharpe and Nassir Little chipped in 15 and 11 points respectively.

The Blazers’ hot shooting enabled them to lead by as many as 27 points in the contest. The game was so one-sided that the Blazers were able to bench Lillard for good with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

Lillard’s hot shooting was appreciated by the home support, with Blazers fans giving the seven-time All-Star a standing ovation. He has been on fire this season, scoring at least 40 points in 11 games.

Lakers' losing woes continue

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It was another disappointing defeat for the Lakers, who have now lost four of their last five games. They once again struggled without LeBron James, who missed his third straight game for Los Angeles with a sore left ankle.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has not played since breaking the scoring record of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a loss to Oklahoma City last Tuesday.

Anthony Davis starred for the Lakers in a losing effort, recording a double-double with 19 points and 20 rebounds.

The Lakers and the Blazers continued to integrate players they acquired last week at the trade deadline. Thybulle, who was obtained from the Sixers in a four-team deal, made his debut for Portland and knocked down four 3-pointers.

D’Angelo Russell, who Los Angeles got as part of the trade that sent former MVP, Russell Westbrook to the Jazz, started for the second straight game and dropped 16 points.

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Malik Beasley, who came over from Utah in that deal, scored 22 points off the bench.

Format of NBA's All-Star Game

Sports Brief recently reported on the format of the NBA All-Star Game, pitting Team Giannis against Team LeBron this Sunday.

James and Antetokounmpo will form their teams hours before tip-off, with Team LeBron having never lost in this event.

Team LeBron will be coached by Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets while Team Giannis will be coached by Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics.