Lakers vs. Blazers Preview: Who’s taking their first loss?

PORTLAND, OR - JANUARY 17: Jrue Holiday #5 of the Portland Trail Blazers dribbles the ball as Jake Laravia #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers plays defense during the game on January 17, 2026 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Lakers (3-0) are back home where they will host the Portland Trail Blazers (2-0) on Tuesday. This will be the first night of a back-to-back for the purple and gold.

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers

When: 8 p.m. PT, Oct 27

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch: NBC, Spectrum Sportsnet

The Lakers’ third win of the season felt very different from their first two. Not only did they survive a slow start on the road, but also an underwhelming showing from Walker Kessler, who the Utah Jazz contained very well. Led by Luka Dončić’s mesmerizing 52-point game, it was Los Angeles’ first time performing in the clutch.

Speaking of Luka, can we take a moment to just appreciate his performance? The reigning scoring champion cooked up the first 50-burger of the young NBA season. This is one of the cleanest shot charts we’re ever going to see.

Dončić was superb, but so was Austin Reaves, who had 29 points. The Lakers’ performance wasn’t perfect. They gave up 52 rebounds, 20 of which were offensive boards. The Jazz also scored 34 points off second opportunities and produced 58 points inside the paint. The purple and gold’s defense left a lot to be desired but that’s something that can be worked on. After all, there’s so much basketball to be played.

The goal for the Lakers at this time of the season is to stack as many wins as possible while continuously getting better and they’ve been doing just that thus far.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles will stumble upon a Blazers team that’s also had a strong start to its season. They’re a team that’s aiming to turn last season’s unexpected playoff breakthrough into something sustainable, headlined by their dynamic backcourt in Damian Lillard and Ja Morant.

Lillard is showing encouraging signs after an Achilles injury while Morant looks healthy and determined to be great this season. On top of that, they also have Deni Avdija, who is the team’s No. 1 option. Avdija is averaging 22 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5 assists across two games.

Coming off four days of rest, the Blazers should be ready to go. After opening the season with a dominant 41-point win over the Phoenix Suns before grinding out a clutch victory against the Sacramento Kings, Portland will look to keep its momentum rolling. They can really score the ball, so the Lakers’ defense has to be significantly better in this one.

The Blazers will likely assign Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara — two of the best defensive players in the game — to Dončić and Reaves. How the Lakers navigate Portland’s elite perimeter defense will be worth watching. Ideally, with opposing defenses keying in on Dončić and Reaves, a bounce-back game from Kessler and a collective effort from the role players would go a long way.

The victory over Utah provided solid preparation for the Lakers’ upcoming clash with Portland. The Blazers figure to be a tougher matchup, but Los Angeles’ early-season record suggests that they can hold their own against any opponent.

Let’s see if the Lakers remain undefeated against the Blazers on Tuesday.

• For the Lakers’ injury report, Cameron Carr (right oblique strain), Adou Thiero (left knee effusion) are out.
• As for the Blazers, Shaedon Sharpe (right meniscus surgery) is out. Branden Carlson (concussion protocol) and Scoot Henderson (left ankle soreness) are questionable.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.