LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — LeBron James experienced 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 helps and the Los Angeles Lakers state-of-the-art to the Western Convention semifinals, beating the limited-handed Portland Path Blazers 131-122 in Recreation 5 on Saturday night time.
Anthony Davis had a playoff-finest 43 factors for the prime-seeded Lakers in their initial playoff visual appearance considering that 2013.
The Lakers will play the winner of the sequence between Houston and Oklahoma Metropolis. The Rockets took a 3-2 guide with a 114-80 victory previously Saturday.
CJ McCollum had 36 factors for the remarkably scrappy Path Blazers, who performed without having hurt All-Star guard Damian Lillard. Carmelo Anthony added 27 factors.
Down 14 in the third quarter, Portland received to 100-97 on McCollum’s layup and tied it on Anfernee Simon’s 3-pointer to cap an 8-level run with 9:46 left. James answered with a 3.
Gary Trent Jr.’s 3-pointer tied it at 109 with just underneath seven minutes to go. Once again the Lakers held off Portland with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s 3.
Just after Trent’s 3-pointer closed it to 114-112 with 4:53 still left, Davis experienced a individual 11- run to place Los Angeles up 123-112 and all but seal it.
The video game was initially established for Wednesday night, but players collectively made a decision not to engage in in the 3 playoff video games scheduled for that day to protest racial injustice following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Online games on Friday ended up also postponed.
Lillard hurt his ideal knee in Recreation 4 that prompted him to leave the bubble in Florida and return to Portland to see team medical practitioners. Lillard was named MVP of the seeding game titles heading into the playoffs, averaging 37.6 points and 9.6 helps in eight video games.
Trent Jr. took his Lillard’s spot in the opening lineup. But due to the fact of accidents the eighth-seeded Blazers had just nine players readily available for the video game.
Portland’s lone acquire in the initially-spherical sequence arrived in Sport 1.
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Trail Blazers: In addition to Lillard, Portland was without the need of Zach Collins simply because of still left ankle irritation, Nassir Tiny with dehydration and Wenyen Gabriel with ideal quad tendonitis.
Lakers: Rajon Rondo practiced on Friday but remained inactive for Game 5 as he recovers from a fractured appropriate thumb and again spasms. … Dion Waiters was video game-time determination with a migraine but was accessible.
MOURNING UNCLE CLIFFY: There was a instant of silence before the recreation for former Trail Blazer Cliff Robinson. He died Saturday at 53.
Robinson played 18 seasons in the NBA, his to start with eight in Portland, and later produced the metropolis his dwelling. Portland players also wore headbands for the duration of the match in his honor.
“His identity and energy had been unmatched, and his contributions on the courtroom had been unmistakable, assisting the Trail Blazers into the playoffs each individual of his 8 seasons with the staff,” the Blazers mentioned in a statement.
The instant of silence also regarded former Arizona coach Lute Olson and actor Chadwick Boseman.
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