Photo via Yahoo Sports

Lakers loss to Blazers unearths inevitable defensive problems

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their first defeat of the season on Tuesday, falling 136-129 to the Portland Trail Blazers at home. Despite a strong 3-0 start to the campaign, the Lakers struggled to contain Portland's perimeter attack, which featured a decisive fourth-quarter surge from Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija.

Head coach JJ Redick noted a lack of defensive discipline, while Walker Kessler acknowledged his own need to be more aggressive in anchoring the team's interior defense. Portland's balanced scoring effort included 23 points each from Avdija and Ja Morant, 22 from Jrue Holiday, and significant contributions from Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan.

Up nextNBA· 3h ago

Player Grades: Lakers vs. Blazers