GAME UPDATES
Lakers 56, Blazers 39, halftime: Not a strong first half for Portland. Los Angeles closes on a 12-2 run. Lillard has a team-high 14 points, but he’s 1 for 5 from three-point range and has committed three turnovers. Trent has eight points; McCollum and Nurkic have six each. Nurkic and Gabriel have three fouls apiece. For the Lakers, Davis has 21 points and eight rebounds. James has 10 points, four assists and three rebounds, but also four turnovers. McGee is Los Angeles’ only starter with two fouls.
Lakers 44, Blazers 33, 4:31 2nd quarter: Lakers have their largest lead. Simons is getting some minutes for Portland.
Lakers 37, Blazers 31, 7:05 2nd quarter: Trent helping to keep Portland close — he has two three-pointers this quarter. Gabriel has three fouls in five minutes.
Lakers 27, Blazers 19, end 1st quarter: Lillard has 10 points; McCollum has four. Davis has 11 for Los Angeles. Lakers are shooting 48% from the field. Blazers are shooting 31.8%. Portland is 1 for 8 from three-point range.
Lakers 23, Blazers 17, 2:48 1st quarter: Lillard has a game-high eight points. Davis leads Los Angeles with seven points. McGee has two fouls for the Lakers.
Lakers 20, Blazers 15, 4:54 1st quarter: Lillard has eight points in the first seven minutes (3 for 5 from the field, 1 for 3 from three-point range, 1 for 1 from the line).
Lakers 16, Blazers 8, 6:59 1st quarter: Caldwell-Pope has six points for Los Angeles. James and McGee have four each. Gabriel has two fouls for Portland. Whiteside has entered the game.
Blazers 6, Lakers 6, 9:13 1st quarter: Lillard misses his first shot, makes his second. How many points will he score tonight? James picks up an early foul for Los Angeles.
Blazers 2, Lakers 2, 11:07 1st quarter: Portland wins the tip and McCollum scores the first basket of the game. McGee throws down a dunk on the other end.
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STARTING LINEUPS
Portland
PG Damian Lillard
SG CJ McCollum
SF Carmelo Anthony
PF Wenyen Gabriel
C Jusuf Nurkic
Los Angeles
PG LeBron James
SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF Danny Green
PF Anthony Davis
C JaVale McGee
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The Portland Trail Blazers have a chance to go up 2-0 on the Los Angeles Lakers with a win tonight in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. Doing so would guarantee that the Blazers will make history in one way or another at the conclusion of the series.
• You can watch Blazers vs. Lakers Game 2 live for FREE with fuboTV (free trial).
Winning the series in any fashion would make Portland only the sixth No. 8 seed to ever upset a No. 1 seed in the NBA playoff history.
Going up 2-0 and losing would mark the first time in franchise history that the Blazers lost a series after taking the first two games.
Portland is 13-0 in playoff series after going up 2-0. That’s dating back to the championship season of 1977 when the Blazers went up 2-0 in all three West playoff matchups before going down 2-0 to Philadelphia in the Finals, only to win the final four games to claim the title.
GAME DAY LINKS
Portland Trail Blazers far from comfortable up 1-0 on Los Angeles Lakers: Game 2 preview, odds, time, TV channel, how to watch free live stream online
Credit Portland Trail Blazers’ defense for Game 1 upset or blame Los Angeles Lakers’ offense? Game 2 could tell the tale
Trail Blazers vs. Lakers in Game 2: Los Angeles playoff problems, Damian Lillard’s dominance, LeBron James-Carmelo Anthony friendship, Rajon Rondo’s status
Portland Trail Blazers’ Wenyen Gabriel has earned Terry Stotts’ trust despite frequent foul trouble
BLAZERS-LAKERS
What: No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers vs. No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers, 6 p.m. PT Thursday.
Where: Advent Health Arena, Orlando, Florida.
TV channel: ESPN (35/735) | Locally on NBC Sports Northwest (In Portland: Comcast (37/737)
Radio: Rip City Radio (KPOJ 620 AM)
How to watch live stream online: You can watch the game live for FREE with FuboTV (free trial). You can also get this game on Hulu + Live (free trial) or Sling TV (free trial, promotional offers), if you prefer those platforms and their pricing plans.
More ways to watch: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast / Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, Cox, DIRECTV.
Game 2 line: Lakers by 6 1/2.
Game 2 odds: Lakers (-255) | Blazers (+210) – O/U: 228.5
Updated series odds: Lakers (-182) | Blazers (+150)
INJURY REPORT
Blazers: Guard CJ McCollum (vertebral fracture) is available. Forwards Zach Collins (left ankle Malleolar stress reaction) and Nassir Little (dehydration) are out. Forwards Trevor Ariza and Caleb Swanigan opted out of the NBA bubble.
Lakers: Forward LeBron James (groin soreness) and forward/center Anthony Davis (knee soreness) are probable. Guard Rajon Rondo (thumb surgery) is questionable. Guard Avery Bradley did not join the team at the bubble.
REMAINING SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 3: Saturday, Aug. 22, 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 4: Monday, Aug. 24, 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET, TNT
*Game 5: Wednesday, Aug. 26, TBD, TBD
*Game 6: Friday, Aug. 28, TBD, TBD
*Game 7: Sunday, Aug. 30, TBD, TBD
— Aaron Fentress | [email protected] | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).
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