Lakers sweep a three-game week, close it by holding off Portland

The win that mattered most this week was the closest one. The Los Angeles Lakers beat Portland 124-118 on Friday, holding off a team sitting in the top eight of the West and closing a 3-0 week. Two lopsided wins earlier in the week padded the record. The Portland game showed this group can win a tight one against real competition.

The Lakers are 8-2, level on record with Oklahoma City and San Antonio at the top of the conference.

The week

Monday: Miami Heat at Los Angeles Lakers, 138-117. The Lakers put up 138 on the Miami Heat and won by 21. Miami left town at 2-5. It was the highest-scoring night of the week by a distance, with the two teams combining for 255 points.

Wednesday: Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings, 116-103. A 13-point road win over the Sacramento Kings, who are now 1-8. It was the kind of game a good team is supposed to win, and the Lakers won it without much drama.

Friday: Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers, 124-118. The six-point margin covered a Lakers line of -3 and sent the 242-point total well over the 231.5 and 232.5 numbers on the board. Luka Doncic cleared 35.5 points and Austin Reaves went past 21.5. Doncic did not get past 7.5 assists, a sign the scoring came more through his own shot than his passing.

Where they stand

The top of the West is crowded. Oklahoma City, San Antonio and the Lakers are all 8-2 overall. The Spurs have the cleanest conference mark at 8-2. The Lakers are 6-2 against the West and the Oklahoma City Thunder are 5-2.

Behind them, Golden State, Minnesota and Houston are all 7-3. Memphis is 6-3, with a 6-2 conference record. The Portland Trail Blazers dropped to 6-3 with Friday's loss and hold eighth. Denver is ninth at 5-3.

The bottom of the conference is where the Lakers' early schedule has paid off. The Clippers are 1-7, and Utah and Sacramento are both 1-8. Phoenix is 3-5. The Lakers have already banked one of those games and should see more chances against that group.

The desk

All four members of the desk put their picks on the Portland game, and only one finished the week with a winning record.

Marcus "Film Room" Dawkins went 2-1. He had Lakers -3 and the over 231.5, and both came in. His Doncic over 7.5 assists missed. He is 4-5 on the season.

Lou "The Sharp" Marchetti went 1-2. The over 231.5 won. Portland +3.5 lost when the margin went to six, and Reaves under 21.5 points lost too. He still has the best season mark on the desk at 5-4.

Vera "The Fade" Kowalski went 1-2. Faded the Lakers with Portland to win and lost, and the under 232.5 lost as well. Her Doncic under 7.5 assists was the one prop on the desk that landed. She is 4-5.

Dr. Priya "The Quant" Raman went 1-2. The Lakers to win came in. The under 232.5 and Doncic under 35.5 points both lost. She is 3-6, last on the desk.

The lesson from Friday: the two players who were asked to carry the scoring did, and the total never looked like staying under.

What's next

At 8-2 and tied for the best record in the West, the Lakers have a cushion over a seven-team pack sitting within two games. The early run has come with a favourable spread of opponents, and the Portland result is the best evidence so far that it holds up against stronger teams. The full schedule, with tip times and prices for each upcoming game, is on the scores page.