The Portland Trail Blazers went to the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday in a matchup of Western Conference rivals. The Lakers were looking to keep their postseason chances alive, while the Blazers hoped to stop the bleeding from a six-game losing streak and a drop in the standings.
Wesley Matthews was tasked with guarding 15-time all-star Kobe Bryant, and though Matthews stayed tight on his opponent,
Bryant had a huge night, scoring 40 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. Despite this, the Blazers led for most of the game, outplaying the Lakers on their home court and finishing the third quarter with an 82-80 lead. They seemed to have the game in hand going in to the fourth, but Matthews and all-star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge both received their first technical fouls of the season on borderline calls, eating away at the Blazers’ momentum.
Los Angeles took back the lead and was up by four when Blazer forward Nicholas Batum caught a pass from Matthews, squared up and sank a long jumper in three-point territory. The Staples Center grew quiet until the referee held up two fingers, indicating that Batum had stepped past the three-point line, which sent head coach Terry Stotts and the Blazers bench into an uproar. The Blazers fouled in order to stop the clock but Bryant made both his free throws to bring the Laker lead back to four.
Blazer point guard Damian Lillard caught the next inbounds pass and set up for a shot, throwing in a pump fake that caused Bryant to fly past him, but Lillard’s attempt rattled out and the Lakers came up with the rebound as the clock exppired. Bryant scored 11 points in the last five-and-a-half minutes of the game. Batum and J.J. Hickson had 22 points each in the loss, with Hickson also pulling down 11 rebounds. The Blazers’ starters all scored in double digits, but they got only 14 points from the bench, while the Lakers got 26 points from reserves Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks.
Portland’s next two games come against members of the Northwest Division. They will host the Denver Nuggets tomorrow at the Rose Garden, followed by another home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 2.