EditorsNote: fixes to "previous 16" in fifth graf; rewords last two grafs
Anthony Davis delivered 39 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots as the Los Angeles Lakers rolled to a 136-113 victory over the host Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
LeBron James made four 3-pointers while recording 31 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Lakers improved their record to 20-3, tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for best in the NBA. Kyle Kuzma scored 15 off the bench, and JaVale McGee added 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting as Los Angeles completed a 3-0 road trip that began with games against the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz.
Damian Lillard registered 29 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Hassan Whiteside added 17 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, and Carmelo Anthony, CJ McCollum and Anfernee Simons added 15 points apiece.
Portland's Rodney Hood sustained a torn left Achilles tendon during the first quarter. Hood collected a rebound and fell to the floor after landing, then immediately grabbed for the lower portion of his left leg with 3:27 left in the period. He was scoreless in the contest.
The Lakers have won three of the past four meetings with the Trail Blazers after losing the previous 16.
Los Angeles shot 54.1 percent from the field, including 17 of 36 from 3-point range, while notching a season high for points and improving to 11-1 on the road.
Kent Bazemore scored 10 points for Portland, which connected on 45.3 percent of its shots and was 10 of 34 from behind the arc.
The Trail Blazers trailed 81-70 after Lillard's 3-pointer with 10:02 left in the third quarter.
James responded by making three 3-pointers over an 80-second span to give Los Angeles a 95-77 advantage, and the lead reached 20 on Davis' dunk to make it 101-81 with 3:59 remaining.
The Lakers led 110-93 entering the final stanza. The lead reached 121-100 when James slammed home a lob from Alex Caruso with 7:16 left, and the advantage topped out at 27 as Portland never mounted a late charge.
Davis scored 25 and Los Angeles posted a season high for first-half points as it held a 77-62 lead at the break. Los Angeles later rattled off 15 straight points behind four 3-pointers -- two from Rajon Rondo and one each from James and Kuzma -- to open up a 58-39 lead with 7:14 remaining.
Davis had 15 points in the first quarter as the Lakers took a 39-34 advantage.
--Field Level Media
