Trail Blazers beat Lakers 136-129 to stay unbeaten

The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 136-129 on Tuesday, extending their season-opening winning streak to three games and ending the Lakers’ unbeaten start. Deni Avdija and Ja Morant scored 23 points apiece for Portland. Jrue Holiday added 22 points off the bench, and Damian Lillard scored 21. Luka Doncic led Los Angeles with 41 points and nine assists, while Austin Reaves contributed 26 points and seven assists. The Lakers had won their first three games, while Portland entered Tuesday with two victories. The result left the Trail Blazers unbeaten and gave Los Angeles its first loss of the season. Portland’s outside shooting was a key part of its offense: the team made 18 of 36 attempts from three-point range. Los Angeles made 17 of 43. The Trail Blazers also shot 59% overall, according to the game statistics. The game remained close late after the Lakers erased a Portland lead and tied the score at 116 with 5:33 remaining. Morant scored twice in the closing stretch to help restore Portland’s advantage. Lillard then made a three-pointer with 43.1 seconds left, putting the Trail Blazers ahead 135-129. The Lakers missed two three-point attempts on their next...