Dame Time is back.
But when Portland needed a game-winner it turned to summer acquisition Jerami Grant, who went right at LeBron James and got a shot up around Anthony Davis with :03 left on the clock.
GRANT. GAME. WINNER.#RipCity | @JeramiGrant pic.twitter.com/uDqxZgcdwo
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 23, 2022
The Trail Blazers closed the game on an 11-2 run and picked up the win 106-104, improving Portland to 3-0 and keeping the Lakers winless at 0-3.
Lillard finished the game with 41 points, and his pull-up 3-pointer with :12.4 left gave the Trail Blazers a late lead.
#YKWTII ⌚️#RipCity | @Dame_Lillard pic.twitter.com/rhrv3gOglb
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 23, 2022
LeBron James — 31 points, eight rebounds and eight assists on the night — tied the game when he drove past Jusuf Nurkic out high and no Trail Blazer came to help, giving LeBron the easiest clutch dunk he’s ever had. Then it was Grant’s turn to steal the spotlight. LeBron missed a tough fadeaway as time expired, and that was the ballgame.
It was another frustrating loss for the Lakers, who led 102-95 with 1:56 to play but didn’t execute and had missed shots by Davis, LeBron and Westbrook (a pull-up jumper with :27 seconds left in the game, 18 seconds on the shot clock and the Lakers still ahead by one, he said after the game he wanted to go for a two-for-one). The Lakers’ late-game execution was sloppy, letting down another solid defensive performance. The Lakers also missed 17 of their first 18 3-pointers on the night (6-of-33 for the game).