Luka Doncic scores 53 as Lakers rally past Trail Blazers 124-118, move to 8-2

Luka Doncic scored a season-high 53 points on Friday night, and the Los Angeles Lakers came back from a 60-53 halftime deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118 at Crypto.com Arena. The NBA Cup group-play win was the Lakers' fourth in a row. It moved them to 8-2 and, according to the Los Angeles Times, back into first place in the Western Conference. Portland fell to 6-2.

The result also settled a score. The Blazers had won 136-129 in Los Angeles on Oct. 27, and they still looked in control early on Friday. The Lakers missed all 12 of their 3-point attempts in the first quarter, and Doncic picked up a technical foul for throwing the ball at an official. The game turned on the last play of the half. Doncic launched a heave from Portland's side of the floor, and it banked in at the buzzer. ESPN measured the shot at 62 feet. Doncic then scored 20 points in the third quarter, five more than the whole Portland team. The Lakers went on a 17-0 run during the period and won it 34-15.

Portland cut a double-digit lead to four points late, but the Blazers never got closer. With 27.7 seconds left, Doncic hit a floater in the lane that pushed the margin back to six. The Associated Press reported that Austin Reaves added 25 points and Walker Kessler had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Deni Avdija led Portland with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, and Damian Lillard also scored 22.

The night added to an unusual season. Doncic is averaging 40.1 points through 10 games, and this was his second 50-point game of the year after his 52 against Utah on Oct. 25. He has now scored 50 or more four times as a Laker, which passes LeBron James and ties George Mikan for fourth in franchise regular-season history. He has also scored at least 40 in four straight games. Only Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor and Mikan had done that for the Lakers. His shooting from deep is the biggest change. He is making a career-best 43.1% of his 3-pointers, and coach JJ Redick told the Times before the game that the improvement comes from repetition: "he's in the gym every day shooting."

What it means for Detroit

The Lakers play next on Sunday at Detroit. That game opens a four-game road trip that continues in Atlanta, Milwaukee and Phoenix. Redick said Bronny James and Cameron Carr, who have been assigned to the Coachella Valley Lakers for playing time, will travel with the team.

The Lakers bring a strong 10-game record on the road. They are 3-1 away from home, with wins at Utah, at the Clippers and at Sacramento. The only road loss was a 112-95 defeat at Golden State, which was also their last loss of any kind. Since then they have beaten Toronto, Miami, Sacramento and Portland, and they scored at least 116 points in each of those games. For the season they are averaging 122.0 points and allowing 114.3.

The early stretch of this game is the one to watch. Friday was the second straight home game against Portland in which the Lakers fell well behind before the break, and this time Doncic's late run covered for it. A road trip through four Eastern and Western venues in about a week will show whether the Lakers can keep winning when the first half goes badly.