An unprecedented Nick Smith Jr. led the injury-plagued Los Angeles Lakers to an upset road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Published November 4, 2025
Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura and Nick Smith Jr. combined for season-high scoring totals as the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers defeated the host Portland Trail Blazers 123-115 on Monday night.
Ayton had 29 points on 14-of-19 shooting, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots against his former teammates.
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Hachimura scored 28 points on 10 of 15 shots.
Smith, a little-known guard, was the biggest surprise, scoring 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range. He added a season-best six assists as the Lakers won their fourth straight championship.
Los Angeles was without stars Luka Doncic (leg contusion) and Austin Reeves (groin strain) on the second night of back-to-back games. Also, LeBron James (sciatica), the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has not played yet this season.
Smith was not active in Los Angeles’ win over the Miami Heat on Sunday, but with Doncic and Reaves out, he was inserted into the rotation on Monday and stood out, playing about 27 minutes off the bench. He scored 10 points in the fourth quarter.
Deni Avdija scored a season-best 33 points for Portland, whose winning streak ended at three. Shaydon Sharpe had 23 points and seven rebounds, backup Jerami Grant had 18 points and Toumani Kamara had 14 points and seven rebounds.
Los Angeles shot 58.8 percent from the field, including 9-of-23 (39.1 percent) from 3-point range. Jake LaRabia added 11 points for the Lakers.
After the Lakers led by four points, LaRavia scored inside with 3:32 left to start a 10-0 outburst. Smith made two 3-pointers in 26 seconds to give the Lakers a 117-105 lead, then hit Ayton with a layup to extend the lead to 14 points with 2:08 left in the game, and Los Angeles was shut out.
The Trail Blazers shot 49.4 percent from the field, but were inconsistent at 9-of-40 (22.5 percent) from behind the arc.
Portland opened the third quarter on a 12-4 run and held a nine-point advantage.
The Lakers responded with a 19-4 surge and extended their lead to 75-69 on Jackson Hayes’ tip-in with 5:08 left in the quarter.
Hayes’ dunk made it 84-77 with 2:26 left in the third, and the Trail Blazers closed the gap to 90-86 going into the final round.
Avdija scored 14 points in the first half as Portland led 53-52 at halftime. For the Lakers, Hachimura scored 18 points in the first half.
