The sequel is almost never as good as the original.

And Monday night at the Moda Center, it was a lot worse for the Portland Trail Blazers .

In a matchup between teams navigating a spate of injuries and absences, the Los Angeles Lakers handed the Blazers a surprising 123-115 defeat before 17,083.

The game came just a week after the Blazers (4-3) breezed past the Lakers (6-2) at Crypto.com Arena. And for much of the night Monday, the rematch resembled the first meeting.

The first half was a sloppy slugfest, featuring a bevy of bricks, turnovers and uninspiring play. The teams combined for 21 turnovers in the opening half and the Blazers — who missed their first four field goals and committed a pair of turnovers before they scored their first points — shot just 24% from three-point r

See Full Page