Basketball

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Watches from a Private Viewing Section; Rui Hachimura Scores 23 Points, Lakers Roll past Trail Blazers 107-98 to End 3-game Skid

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani (17) and his wife Mamiko Tanaka attends the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena.

AP Photo/Etienne Laurent
Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura scores during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Los Angeles.

17:31 JST, December 9, 2024

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Davis scored 30 points and had 11 rebounds, D’Angelo Russell added 28 points with 14 assists and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 107-98 on Sunday night without LeBron James.

With James missing his first game of the season because of a left foot contusion, Max Christie started his second game for the Lakers and scored four points with four rebounds.

Rui Hachimura scored 23 points for Los Angeles, which ended a three-game losing streak. The Lakers had dropped seven of their previous nine games.

Deandre Ayton scored 14 points with 19 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who lost their fourth consecutive game and have dropped six of their last seven. Shaedon Sharpe scored 19 points for Portland, which was coming off a 42-point loss to the Utah Jazz at home Friday.

Takeaways

Trail Blazers: After they were outrebounded 61-34 against the Jazz, Portland was more active on the glass led by Ayton.

Lakers: Russell had a season high with his 14 assists and it came in a reserve role. Russell was the starting point guard for the first eight games before he was moved to the bench. He started two games last week with Austin Reaves nursing a pelvic injury.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Actor Matt Damon, left with glasses and Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani (17) and his wife Mamiko Tanaka attend the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena.

Key moment

Hachimura gave the Lakers just what they were looking for without James, scoring 14 points in the second quarter on 5-of-6 shooting as Los Angeles rebounded from a first-period deficit to take a 59-45 lead into halftime.

Key stat

There were seven total MVP awards watching the game, with James’ four on the Lakers’ bench and the three won by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, who watched from a private viewing section seven rows behind the courtside seats.