"I told the guys before the game, 'We have enough in this locker room to win this game,'" said Lakers coach JJ Redick. "My belief level in this group that's here in Portland right now and in uniform right now is as high as it's been."
"You can't win in the NBA without stepping on the floor and expecting to win," Redick said. "I thought our guys had that from the start. Then that confidence, belief and truly connectivity in that second half was just awesome to watch. It was just awesome."
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 123-115 despite missing Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James. Starters Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura combined for 57 points while reserve guard Nick Smith Jr. scored 25, including 17 after halftime. Los Angeles trailed by nine in the third before rallying to lead late in the period and extending the margin to 14 in the fourth. The Lakers shifted from 3.5-point favorites to 10.5-point underdogs after late-game injury announcements and have had six different players score at least 25 points this season.
Read at ESPN.com
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