Short-handed Lakers can't overcome foul trouble in loss to Blazers

PORTLAND — Being undermanned equaled more opportunity, but an overaggressive approach stalled their efforts.

The Lakers fell 132-116 to the Trail Blazers on Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back at the Moda Center, fouling Portland 25 times in the process.

After the Lakers' loss to the Hornets on Thursday, guard Marcus Smart said the Lakers need to start games violent and come out agressive, saying that officials can’t make every foul call. 

The Lakers did indeed come out aggressively, but it forced a silhouette of whistles.

The opening quarter lasted nearly as long as your favorite ride at Disneyland because of how often the Lakers gave the Blazers visits to the charity stripe. The Lakers committed 13 fouls in the first quarter, allowing the Blazers to shoot 22 free throws and score 40 points to open.

"They [refs] got off to a bad start tonight and they admitted that to me," coach JJ Redick said on the officiating. "It's not to single them out, or it's not the reason we lost. For whatever reason, you've had to ask the 29 other coaches; it feels like the inconsistencies night to night within a game has been there for most of these crews."

The Trail Blazers would attempt 34 free throws (making 26) on the night, as the Lakers attempted 21. 

As the Lakers tried to rally in the second quarter, getting within single digits, the Blazers got their momentum and essentially grasped of the game in the third quarter.

Portland connected on seven 3s in the third, outscoring the 36-29 in the quarter behind three Blazers scoring above 20 points. Shaedon Sharpe finished with 25 points while Jerami Grant and Caleb Love each had 22 points off the bench. All three combined for 11 of the Blazers' 16 3-pointers on the night.

With the losses of your top two centers and two other starters, the Lakers desperately relied on their bench to create some firepower to get things to go in Portland alongside LeBron James.

"At the end of the day, nobody is feeling sorry for us. Nor are we looking for it. The guys that's available, we got to go out there and play our game. Play the way we want to offensively and defensively and ride this ship until we get whole," James said, who had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

Two-way forward Drew Timme got the opportunity to play the most minutes he's had this season. The sophomore scored a season-high 21 points, four assists and two steals while shooting 75% (nine of 12) in 29 minutes of action.

"It's great to see all the work you put in.  That's the beauty of the G-League.  When or if I'm ever needed, I'm ready," Timme said.

The loss dropped the Lakers' record to 24-16 for the sixth spot in the West, losing five of their last six games. They will travel back home to conclude their back-to-back against the Raptors on Sunday.