By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The game started with the Lakers having an early 24-8 lead over the Blazers, the symbolism on a day dedicated to the memory of Kobe Bryant was obvious when all was said and done, LA dominated on the way to a 135-115 win and a 3-1 advantage in the first-round Western Conference playoff series.
LeBron James had 30 points and 10 assists in 28 minutes before heading to the bench late in the third quarter. The Lakers led by as many as 38 points, but there was no light mood after the game.
On top of remembering the tragic fate of Bryant, LeBron also mentioned the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“I can’t even enjoy a playoff win right now, which is the sad part,” he said. “We are scared as Black people in America,” James said. “Black men, Black women, Black kids. We are, we are terrified.”
For the Blazers, Damian Lillard, the MVP of the seeding games in the NBA bubble, had 11 points before leaving with a right knee injury in the third. Bosnian big man Jusuf Nurkic had 20 points and 13 rebounds.