The Los Angeles Lakers host a belligerent Portland Trail Blazers at the Cypto.com Arena on Sunday (October 23) and will look to notch up their first win of the season after losing to the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Both teams have been off to contrasting starts, and the Blazers come into the contest on the back of a 2-0 run, with the latest against the Phoenix Suns that saw them earn their win in overtime. As far as all-time matchups go, Los Angeles leads 125-112, and their four clashes last season saw them take two wins apiece.
The latest encounter still sees the Lakers head into the game as underdogs despite the star power of LeBron James and Anthony Davis — both of whom have enjoyed good outings despite the end result. And on that note, we look at the injury updates, the starting lineups, and what to expect when the two teams from the West face off.
Los Angeles Lakers Expected Lineup And Injury Updates
The good news: Davis says he’s okay, and the big man is listed as probable. He took a nasty tumble in the third quarter against the Clippers but ended up playing the remainder of the game despite laboring his way back and forth.
Troy Brown Jr. was listed as probable as well after originally given more weeks to heal. He was upgraded for Sunday’s skirmish, and that comes off as another boost. Per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, he did sound optimistic.
Troy Brown Jr. on playing tomorrow: “That’s the plan.”
Said it depends on how the rest of today goes and how he feels tomorrow morning.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 22, 2022
Troy Brown Jr. on playing tomorrow: “That’s the plan.” Said it depends on how the rest of today goes and how he feels tomorrow morning.
Dennis Schroder and Thomas Bryant are out as they continue to recover from their respective thumb injuries.
The starting five will continue to be the same in all likelihood, with Russell Westbrook (G), Patrick Beverley (G), LeBron James (F), Lonnie Walker IV (F), and Anthony Davis (C) taking the floor.
Portland Trail Blazers Expected Lineup And Injury Updates
Gary Payton II (abdomen) and Olivier Sarr (wrist) will not be part of the Blazers outfit in their clash against the Lakers. Also missing out will be Trent Watford. Payton is expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks more.
The Blazers will look to retain their starting five from their win against the Suns. Josh Hart (F) and Jerami Grant (F) will be on the court alongside Anfernee Simons (G), Damian Lillard (G), and Jusuf Nurkic (C).
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers Season Opener Prediction
The first two games haven’t gone the Lakers’ way, at least on the offensive end. Despite the presence of guards Kendrick Nunn and Patrick Beverley, the side is still heavily reliant on James and Davis to do the bulk of the scoring and fails to be impactful the minutes the duo sit on the sidelines. Their three-point drilling continues to be a cause of concern.
At the time of writing, the side is putting up just 38.8% from the field and a rather subpar 22.4% on threes. Both percentages rank at the back end in the NBA, and while there will eventually be some fixes made, the Lakers will hope it all starts going well for them against the in-form Blazers.
Portland may have one man as their big name, but Lillard is ably assisted by some exciting names and a promising bench that has well punched over its weight. The end result? The Blazers won both their games played so far and now head to Los Angeles as favorites.
