The Portland Trail Blazers let a great opportunity slip away during Thursday night’s 110-102 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Moda Center. Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said his team was rusty and sometimes lacked focus during the defeat in the Blazers’ first game back from the All-Star break.

LeBron James scored 40 points, including eight straight in a fourth-quarter surge, and Austin Reaves had 32 as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 110-102.

James and Reaves made the biggest shots, got the biggest stops and, on a night when they didn’t have Luka Doncic, pushed the Lakers to a 110-102 win over the Trail Blazers. James scored 40 on the second night of a back-to-back and Reaves added 32,

The Portland Trail Blazers returned to action Thursday night following the All-Star break, eager to continue chasing a play-in berth in the Western Conference. To start things off, the Blazers hosted the Los Angeles Lakers,

While Portland's frontcourt ably survived the absence of starting center Deandre Ayton, the Lakers made a point to expose the Trail Blazers' defense-challenged backcourt, with Austin Reaves particularly taking pains to feast off Scoot Henderson in transition.