The Lakers got off to a rare great start in the first quarter of their 107-95 win over the Trail Blazers in Portland Friday. Nice to see, but it opened the door for a different trend that was a problem for LA—letting leads get away. For most of the game, LA would push the lead out, but rather than putting Portland away, they'd let them back in.

This until the fourth quarter, when they were able to build a double-digit lead and keep it there. So there's that.

On the positive side, LeBron James just keeps doing amazing, unprecedented things. 35 points, five boards, nine assists on 13-22 from the floor, including five triples. Anthony Davis was much better (especially defensively) Friday after a bad effort on Wednesday against the Kings, swatting five shots and controlling the glass (14 rebounds)

Christian Wood had been a little quiet of late, but was loud (10/10). D'Angelo Russell stayed hot from beyond the arc (4-7).

But while the win might have been uninspiring, it was extremely important, as the Lakers needed to take advantage of a game against a weak opponent, heading into a tough game on Sunday (vs. Houston) and a road trip featuring some quality squads coming fast.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

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