Nick Smith Jr. stepping up for the Lakers against the Blazers had all the makings of a feel-good Hollywood movie. The shorthanded Lakers relied on their two-way guy to play 27 minutes on the road and ...

Marcus Smart praised Nick Smith Jr. for his big performance to lift the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers to a win.

PROBABLE STARTERS Spurs: PG Stephon Castle (6-6, 2nd), SG Devin Vassell (6-5, 6th); SF Julian Champagnie (6-7, 4th), PF Harrison Barnes (6-8, 14th), C Victor Wembanyama (7-4, 3rd).

The Lakers’ early season commitment to playing hard has helped them weather injury storms and roster uncertainty.

Expert recap and game analysis of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers NBA game from 4 November 2025 on - ESPN (SG).

Tyrese Maxey (Preseason: #15 → Current: #9 overall) Maxey’s usage and efficiency are skyrocketing, and he’s playing like a ...