The big picture required the Lakers to be smart; the little picture demanded that the Lakers play a little harder on Thursday night.
Anthony Davis, who missed most of the Lakers’ game on Christmas, needed the night off because of persistent pain in his sprained left ankle. Gabe Vincent needed more time to recover from an oblique strain.
Removing key pieces, especially one as crucial as Davis, highlighted something JJ Redick’s former coach Doc Rivers always said: Winning every game in the NBA is difficult.
The Lakers needed a big night from someone they rely on, and a career night from someone they are really starting to rely on.
Read more: Hernández: Lakers are all-in on Austin Reaves and will learn if he can become an all-star
LeBron James and Max Christie combined to score 66 points, with Christie finishing with a career-best 28 in the Lakers’ 114-106 win over the Trail Blazers.
James hit a season-high seven threes, needing just 10 attempts, on his way to 38 points as the Lakers (19-14) battled through a rocky fourth quarter. And Christie, cementing his place as the team’s shooting guard, hit five threes and aggressively cut the ball as Portland’s defense focused on James and Austin Reaves.
James and Christie shot the Lakers to a 15-point lead against one of the West’s worst teams, with the Lakers’ defense finding its footing in the second and third quarters.
But the Trail Blazers’ younger, more athletic legs and their longer, stronger arms put the Lakers in tough situations.
Reaves was pressured to shoot just five-for-fifteen from the field for the first time since the Lakers fully gave him the keys. He managed to finish with 11 assists, eight rebounds and 15 points.
Anfernee Simons led Portland (11-22) with 23 points.
The Lakers play Atlanta again on Friday at Crypto.com Arena.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
