Portland Trail Blazers vs Los Angeles Lakers NBA Cup preview, Digi Mart USA News: The Portland Trail Blazers travel to Crypto.com Arena tonight to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first of at least four Emirates NBA Cup games. In their first meeting, the Blazers outlasted a Luka Doncic-led offensive explosion, winning 136-129, and viewers can expect a similarly high-scoring game.
The game is scheduled for Friday, November 6, at 7:00 p.m. Pacific.
Portland enters at 6-1, while the Lakers are 7-2. The game can be watched on NBA on Prime Video and heard on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
Portland is missing Vit Krejci, Shaedon Sharpe, Ja Morant and John Tonje. Los Angeles has Sandro Mamukelashvili listed as questionable.
The Blazers have a reasonable chance to advance from their Emirates NBA Cup group, which includes the Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. The publisher notes that a loss to Los Angeles would significantly reduce Portland’s chances of exiting the group stage.
Portland has won every road game so far this season. Its offense has been balanced, with six players averaging double figures in scoring.
Donovan Clingan has posted two straight double-doubles with at least three blocks against the Suns and the Nuggets.
Luka Doncic is averaging 38.5 points per game on 50-40-90 shooting splits for Los Angeles. The publisher’s analysis suggests Portland must limit Doncic’s teammates, especially from three-point range, and that the game may come down to shotmaking.
The NBA has also announced that the Emirates NBA Cup championship will be held at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, and that semifinal games will be played at the home venue of the higher-seeded team.
