Unheralded rookie Nick Smith Jr produced a breakout performance as the injury-depleted Los Angeles Lakers stunned the Portland Trail Blazers 123–115 on Monday night.
Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura and Smith all recorded season-best scoring nights to hand the Lakers their fourth straight victory despite the absence of several star names.
Ayton dominated against his former team with 29 points on 14-of-19 shooting, along with 10 rebounds and three blocks. Hachimura followed with 28 points, while Smith who is playing just his second NBA game, added 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including five three-pointers and six assists.
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Smith steps up in the spotlight
Smith, who was inactive in Sunday’s win over the Miami Heat, got his chance after Luka Doncic (leg contusion) and Austin Reaves (groin soreness) were rested on the second night of a back-to-back. LeBron James, sidelined with sciatica, has yet to make his season debut.
Making the most of his opportunity, the 20-year-old guard scored 10 points in the final quarter, including back-to-back threes in just 26 seconds that sealed the win. “He was the closer tonight,” Al Jazeera reported, citing Smith’s fourth-quarter heroics and game-changing energy off the bench.
Deni Avdija led Portland with a season-high 33 points, while Shaedon Sharpe added 23 points and seven rebounds. Jerami Grant scored 18, and Toumani Camara chipped in 14 for the Blazers, who saw their three-game win streak end.
The Lakers shot an impressive 58.8 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. Jake LaRavia contributed 11 points.
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Portland, meanwhile, struggled from deep, shooting only 22.5 percent from three-point range.
After trailing early in the third quarter, the Lakers mounted a 19–4 run to take control and never looked back. Ayton’s layup, assisted by Smith, extended the lead to 14 points with just over two minutes left, sealing a memorable road win for the short-handed Los Angeles squad.
