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FSM Recap: Lakers vs Trail Blazers – Game 4 – 2026 | Portland Takes Advantage of Injury Riddled Lakers

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Los Angeles Lakers (2-2) | Portland Trail Blazers (2-2)

On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers, playing on the second night of a back-to-back with a depleted roster, fell to the Portland Trail Blazers, 122-108. Turnovers proved costly as the Lakers dropped to 2-2 on the season and 1-1 without Luka Doncic.

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Game Summary

FSM Recap: Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers - Game 4 - 2025 | Franchise Sports Media — Photo Credit: Ethan Swope / AP

Despite the loss, Austin Reaves once again exploded for 41 points (13-of-22 FGs, 3-for-8 3s, 12-of-14 FTs), four rebounds, five assists, and three steals. He did, however, cough up eight turnovers.

“Last night was fun, [tonight] it’s not as fun when you don’t win,” Reaves said on the experience of scoring 92 points in 48 hours in two games in two cities.

In four career games for Reaves when both LeBron James and Doncic don’t play (post-Doncic trade), Reaves has averaged 43.5 points and 8.5 assists. Four games, and four 40-point individual nights for the Los Angeles Lakers, with Doncic in the first two, and now Reaves in the third and fourth contests.

“Honestly, I think it starts with mentally trying to get yourself ready for the game,” Reaves said on the challenges of playing shorthanded in back-to-back games. “It’s not easy, but like I said, this is what we signed up to do, so we have to figure it out. I thought with our intensity we played hard enough to win but we just didn’t execute good enough.”

Through four games this season, Reaves has totaled 143 points, tying Elgin Baylor (1962-63) for the third most points through the first four games of a season in Lakers history (35.8 per game).

“Just it’s simple stuff like that that I’m seeing again and again. Whether it’s on defense or offense, he’s been great in the huddles,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick spoke on if he’s seeing Reaves be a more vocal leader. “Yesterday, [it was] just as connected as our huddles have been, player to player, during timeouts. So yeah, I see it constantly.”

Deandre Ayton in his return to Portland had 16 points (8-of-15 FGs), eight rebounds, and two steals, Rui Hachimura put up 16 points (6-of-12 FGs, 2-for-5 3s) and six rebounds, Dalton Knecht added 16 points (5-of-13 FGs, 2-for-8 3s) and two steals off the bench, and Jarred Vanderbilt had 14 points (6-of-11 FGs), eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

“They definitely was talking crap to me the whole time,” Ayton said on going against his former Portland teammates. “Deni Avdija, every shot he made he kept rubbing it in.”

Ayton has averaged 15.8 points and 9.3 rebounds on 60% shooting through the first four games.

Quite the injury list for the Lakers, as they were without Doncic, Jaxson Hayes, LeBron James, Maxi Kleber, Marcus Smart, Adou Thiero, and Gabe Vincent. Vincent is expected to miss 2-to-4 weeks after undergoing an MRI on his sprained left ankle.

Los Angeles only had seven active players, plus their three two-way contracts available: Reaves, Knecht, Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Ayton, Vanderbilt, Bronny James, Christian Koloko, Nick Smith Jr., and Chris Manon.

“Hopeful on Jaxson [Hayes] and hopeful on Marcus [Smart]. But, we’ll see,” Redick spoke on if he has any indication about players’ status for the next game or two.

Portland Trail Blazers Game Notes:

Deni Avdija led the way for Portland, dropping 25 points (8-of-17 FGs, 5-for-8 3s), four rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Jrue Holiday followed suit with 24 points (10-of-15 FGs, 4-for-7 3s), five rebounds, six assists, and two blocks.

Jerami Grant added 22 points (7-of-13 FGs, 3-for-7 3s, 5-of-5 FTs) and three steals off the bench. Shaedon Sharpe chipped in 16 points (6-of-16 FGs, 0-for-6 3s), seven rebounds, four steals, and five turnovers. Donovan Clingan had 16 points (8-of-12 FGs, 0-for-3 3s), 14 rebounds, and two blocks.

Lakers vs Trail Blazers Game Recap:

Portland tried different defenders and coverages on Reaves coming off his 51-point night in Sacramento, but they weren’t able to slow him down just yet, as Reaves scored 13 points at the 3:40 mark of the first quarter, with Los Angeles up 21-18.

The Lakers’ starting group held an early lead, but the deep bench wasn’t able to protect it, as Portland closed the quarter on an 8-1 run to take a 28-24 lead into the second. The Trail Blazers were winning the 3-point and rebounding battles. The early bench minutes were understandably rough.

At halftime, the Blazers led 57-51. The Lakers’ interior defense and defensive rebounding were subpar for much of the contest.

Avdija was 5-for-5 from 3 for the Blazers, helping them open a 73-58 lead in the third quarter. The rest of the Blazers were only 2-for-21 from distance, while the Lakers were 2-for-14, struggling to generate clean looks with all the playmakers but Reaves (26 points) out.

Los Angeles managed to trim Portland’s lead to as few as seven, but gave up a 5-0 run to Holiday to close the third, and trailed 89-77 with 12 minutes to play. The Lakers lost all three quarters. Turnovers, rebounding, and 3s have been the difference.

A 3 from Reaves gave him 41 points and cut Portland’s lead to 115-105 with 3:08 to go. Yet, from there, the Trail Blazers would outscore the Lakers 7-3 to close out the game, 122-108.