Dončić hits 53 as Lakers overturn Portland, 124-118

Fifty-three points, 17 field goals made from 33, 14 free throws from 18: Luka Dončić carried the Lakers to a 124-118 win over Portland on Friday, 6 November 2026 at crypto.com Arena, in front of 19,057 spectators. Los Angeles had nonetheless trailed by as many as 14 points in the second quarter, at 35-49. The game turned in the third quarter, and the Lakers then held firm when Portland cut the deficit to five points with less than two minutes left.

With the win, the Lakers move to 7 wins and 2 defeats and sit 3rd in the Western Conference. Portland, 1st in the West with a 6-1 record, suffer what is, on that record, their first defeat. For the Trail Blazers, Shaedon Sharpe (Portland), Ja Morant (Portland) and Vit Krejci (Portland) were listed as out according to the latest, provisional medical report.

Portland open up a gap, Los Angeles stall

The Lakers made a poor start. With 6:20 left in the first quarter, they trailed 7-10. Portland then reeled off a 7-0 run, from 15-18 to 15-25, to build a ten-point lead. The gap grew to 14 in the second quarter, at 35-49 with 5:48 to half-time. At the break, Portland still led 58-53.

A 17-0 run to turn the game

The turning point came after the break. With 6:21 left in the third quarter, Portland still led 68-61. Soon after, the Lakers went on a 17-0 run: from 61-68 to 78-68 with 3:15 left in the quarter. They ended the period at 87-75, after a 34-point third quarter against 15 for Portland. An 8-0 run even took them to 89-75 at the start of the final quarter. With 10:21 to play, they led by 16 points (93-77), their biggest margin of the game.

Portland come back, Lakers hold on

Portland did not throw in the towel. A 10-0 run cut the score from 95-79 to 95-89 with 7:20 left, then the Trail Blazers got back to 100-91 at 6:00. After another 12-point gap (110-98 at 2:50), a 7-0 run made it 110-105 with 1:59 left. The Lakers answered with 14 points in the closing minutes, against 13 for Portland, and stayed in control until the final whistle. Portland's 15-point third quarter contrasted with its 43-point final quarter.

Players of the match

Luka Dončić (Lakers) finished with 53 points on 17-of-33 shooting, 14 of 18 from the free-throw line, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 turnovers in 38 minutes, with a plus-minus of +16. His line combines shooting volume with a heavy presence at the free-throw line. He is said to be on a run of seven straight games with at least 35 points, four of them in a row with at least 40.

Austin Reaves added 25 points and 4 steals in 38 minutes, going 1 of 8 from three-point range. Walker Kessler made his presence felt in the paint with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 12 rebounds. Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 7 points and his team outscored Portland by 19 points during his 20 minutes on the floor. Jake LaRavia finished with 7 points, 8 rebounds and a plus-minus of -16 in 25 minutes.

For the Trail Blazers, Deni Avdija finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists, but also 8 turnovers. Damian Lillard scored 22 points, including 4 of 10 from three-point range, without a rebound in 37 minutes. Toumani Camara (18 points, 4 of 8 from three) and Donovan Clingan (17 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks) also made their mark. Jrue Holiday dished out 7 assists without a turnover, with a plus-minus of -12.

Three key points

A major share of the total. Dončić scored 53 of the Lakers' 124 points, more than 40% of the total. His 14 made free throws account for nearly half of his team's 29.

More shots, fewer turnovers. Los Angeles attempted 93 shots against 70 for Portland, and turned the ball over 11 times against 24. That is 23 more attempts for the Lakers, even though their three-point shooting (11 of 37) was poorer than Portland's (19 of 43).

Portland led for long stretches. The Trail Blazers led by as many as 14 points, finished shooting 51% against 45% for the Lakers, and made 19 three-pointers, 8 more. Their 15-point third quarter weighed heavily on the way the game unfolded.

The SNA view

The numbers say the Lakers won on volume, not accuracy: 23 more shots, 13 fewer turnovers, rebounds at 40 to 37. Portland had 8 turnovers from Avdija and 4 from Lillard, so two players gave away half of its 24 lost balls. It was there, more than in long-range shooting, that the game was decided. The Lakers, for their part, found the answer in the third-quarter swing. It remains to be seen whether that pattern holds when Dončić is not at 53 points.

What next

Portland, 6-1, host the San Antonio Spurs on 8 November at 4:00 Brazzaville time. The Lakers, 7-2, travel to face the Detroit Pistons on 9 November at 0:00 Brazzaville time.