The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 136-129 on Tuesday night, 27 October 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, handing the Lakers their first loss of the season and moving to 3-0 themselves. Four Portland players scored at least 20 points, and Damian Lillard’s three-pointer with 43.1 seconds left finally broke open a game that neither high-powered offence had been willing to lose.
Luka Doncic did almost everything he could to keep Los Angeles unbeaten. He scored 41 points with nine assists and five rebounds, two nights after scoring 52 against Utah, but Portland shot 59% from the field and 18 of 36 from three-point range to outscore the Lakers in every quarter after the first.
Portland’s balance beat one brilliant night
Deni Avdija led Portland with 23 points and nine assists, and Ja Morant matched him with 23 points. Jrue Holiday scored 22 off the bench, Lillard added 21, and Robert Williams III contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds.
That depth was the difference. Austin Reaves gave Doncic strong support with 26 points and seven assists, Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 17, and Walker Kessler and Ziaire Williams added 13 and 11, but Los Angeles had no answer once Portland’s fourth scorer got going. Toumani Camara, who scored 12, joined Avdija and Lillard with four three-pointers each.
The shooting numbers tell the story of the night. Portland finished 46 of 78 from the field, while Los Angeles shot 56.2% and made 17 of 43 three-point attempts. In a game with 79 combined three-point attempts, Portland’s 50% from deep was just enough to offset a Lakers offence that was also firing.
How the fourth quarter swung to Portland
Los Angeles led 73-68 at half-time and stretched the advantage to 79-68 early in the second half. Portland then scored 14 of the final 20 points in the third quarter to trail only 103-102 going into the fourth, setting up a finish full of lead changes and late shot-making.
Lillard put Portland ahead 108-105 with a three-pointer with 9:10 remaining, and Camara’s three made it 114-106 with 8:31 to play. Los Angeles answered with a 10-2 run, and Reaves tied the game at 116 with 5:33 left, but Portland owned the final three minutes.
Avdija’s three gave Portland a 128-124 lead with 2:59 left. After a Lakers three cut the margin to one, Morant scored on a floater and then again to push the lead back out, and Doncic’s short shot with 1:06 left made it 132-129. Lillard then buried the decisive three with 43.1 seconds remaining, and Holiday split two free throws with 18.3 seconds left to close out the 136-129 win, as described in Reuters’ account of the finish.
| Quarter | Lakers | Trail Blazers |
|---|---|---|
| First | 38 | 32 |
| Second | 35 | 36 |
| Third | 30 | 34 |
| Fourth | 26 | 34 |
| Final | 129 | 136 |
| Leading scorers | Points | Other key numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Luka Doncic, Lakers | 41 | 9 assists, 5 rebounds |
| Austin Reaves, Lakers | 26 | 7 assists |
| Deni Avdija, Trail Blazers | 23 | 9 assists |
| Ja Morant, Trail Blazers | 23 | 4 assists |
| Jrue Holiday, Trail Blazers | 22 | Off the bench |
| Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers | 21 | Decisive late three-pointer |
What the result changes for both teams
For Portland, the win is an early statement. A 3-0 start built on shared scoring, efficient shooting and late-game poise looks very different from a hot night by one star, and Lillard’s closing three was a reminder of what he has done in these moments throughout his career.
For Los Angeles, the loss drops the Lakers to 3-1 and exposes the defensive work still to do. The Lakers have already shown they can score with anyone, but Portland’s 59% shooting and 18 three-pointers showed how quickly a shootout can turn when the stops do not come.
Coach JJ Redick called the game an early-season learning lesson after the loss, noting both the shot-making on both sides and the need to teach and scheme better defensively. Reaves was blunter, pointing to blown assignments and basic coverages that Portland punished.
Tuesday’s other NBA scores
Portland’s win was the late game in a busy Tuesday slate, and the other three finals were just as telling. Jayson Tatum hit an overtime buzzer-beater to lift Boston past Brooklyn 125-124, New York beat Detroit 111-97 for its first win of the season, and San Antonio routed Sacramento 130-103.
Tatum scored 40 points for Boston, Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 20 rebounds for the Knicks, and Victor Wembanyama scored 29 in just 27 minutes for the Spurs, according to Reuters’ Tuesday NBA roundup.
| Tuesday, 27 October result | Final score | Standout performer |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets | 125-124 (OT) | Jayson Tatum, 40 points |
| New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons | 111-97 | Karl-Anthony Towns, 27 points, 20 rebounds |
| San Antonio Spurs vs Sacramento Kings | 130-103 | Victor Wembanyama, 29 points |
| Portland Trail Blazers vs Los Angeles Lakers | 136-129 | Deni Avdija and Ja Morant, 23 points each |
What comes next on Wednesday night
The Lakers do not have long to dwell on the loss. They travel across town to face the Los Angeles Clippers in Inglewood on Wednesday night, a quick chance to test whether Tuesday’s defensive lessons stick against another high-scoring opponent.
Baseball also takes centre stage on Wednesday night, with World Series Game 5 deciding whether Milwaukee can clinch its first title or Tampa Bay can force the series back north. That game follows Milwaukee’s 10-1 Game 3 rout and a dramatic 12-inning Game 4 win for the Rays, so the sports night in the United States is far from over.
Portland, meanwhile, leaves Los Angeles with something harder to earn than a single win: an unbeaten record, a balanced attack, and proof that it can close a shootout on the road against a team led by one of the league’s best scorers.
