With the series tied at 1-1, the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers were both looking to take a lead heading into Game 3. Fortunately for the Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard was set in the starting line up after leaving Game 2 with a dislocated finger. However, a key defensive player who missed the first two games of the season, Zach Collins, was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs.
The Trail Blazers held a lead over the Lakers through the majority of the first half. The Lakers struggled to keep up with Portland, much like Game 1 of the series. Heading into halftime, Los Angeles missed 13 crucial free throws and were only 3 for 12 from the 3-point line. Although the Lakers seemed to be slipping away in the first half, that was not the case for LeBron James. He was well on his way to another outstanding playoff performance after finishing the first half of Game 3 with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. While LeBron was focused, Los Angeles needed to step up their game in the second half.
Second Half
It seemed the Lakers realized what was at stake during the halftime break because they came back strong. They started knocking down their 3’s and Anthony Davis, who struggled in the first half, came back on to the court ready to prove himself. This surely helped Los Angeles take a 7 point lead to end the third quarter, but that certainly was not enough to make it a runaway game for the Lakers.
With the start of the 4th quarter, both teams kicked their play into high gear, knowing how important it is to win Game 3 and build momentum for the rest of the series. The Trail Blazers did not stop fighting the rest of the game, and kept the final quarter of Game 3 very close. With only a 1:36 in the game, the Lakers took an 11 point lead, solidifying the fate of Portland.
The Lakers grabbed Game 3 and now lead the series 2-1. James closed the game with 38 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists, just shy of his triple double. Although Portland couldn’t pull out the win, Lillard had 34 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds. Will Lillard be able to bring his team back together and bring the series back to a tie in Game 4 or will LeBron and the Lakers dominate again and take a two game lead? We will all see the action and the team superstars battle it out on Monday night.
