Morant's late jumpers lift Trail Blazers past Lakers 136-129

Ja Morant hit two jumpers in 37 seconds late in the fourth quarter to lift the Portland Trail Blazers to a 136-129 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, October 27.

Morant scored 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting and added four assists in 31 minutes. His 11-foot floater with 2:01 left put Portland up 130-127, and a 6-foot turnaround made it 132-127.

Jrue Holiday came off the bench for 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, and Robert Williams III had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Portland (3-0) shot 59 percent, and its bench outscored that of Los Angeles (3-1) by 15 points.

Los Angeles led by 11 early in the first quarter, 22-11, and used a 10-0 run in the second to go up 76-68. Portland outscored the Lakers 36-26 in the fourth and led 114-106 with just under eight minutes to play. The game was tied 11 times.

Ziaire Williams hit a 3-pointer, assisted by Austin Reaves, to cut it to 128-127, and Morant answered with his two jumpers. Luka Doncic hit an 8-foot pullup to make it 132-129, and Damian Lillard replied with a step-back 3-pointer. Holiday closed it with a free throw at 18.3 seconds.

Doncic scored 41 points on 12-of-22 shooting, with six 3-pointers, nine assists and 11-of-13 on free throws. Reaves added 26 points. Los Angeles made 17 of 43 from 3-point range, 39.5 percent, against Portland's 50 percent, and Portland went to the line 41 times to the Lakers' 30.

Up next

Trail Blazers: vs. the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, October 29.

Lakers: at the LA Clippers on Wednesday, October 28.