Despite being shorthanded, the Lakers pulled off a hard-fought 123-115 victory at the Moda Center against the Blazers.

The Los Angeles Lakers, led by Luka Doncic, face the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. The Lakers have won five of seven games, but previously lost to

Spectators flocking to the Moda Center expecting a blockbuster will be sorely disappointed. The Portland Trail Blazers are hosting a very shortstaffed Los Angeles Lakers.

Playing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers won at Portland on Monday night behind a combined 57 points from starters Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura and an unexpected 25-point performance from reserve guard Nick Smith Jr.

According to Howard, he was still nursing a shoulder injury at the time, but he chose to play anyway. The Lakers suffered a terrible loss to the Boston Celtics, and D12 already felt something was off, as he was never taken out of the game despite it being garbage time.

Bronny James finished with six assists and a steal as the Los Angeles Lakers secured a 123-115 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Los Angeles later posted a clip of Smart blocking Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s layup in the second quarter as well. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder finished the first half with five points (2-5 FG, 1-3 3-point) as well as two rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one rejection in 14 minutes.

On Sunday, November 2, the Los Angeles Lakers (4-2) take on the Miami Heat (3-2) as 5.5-point favorites. The matchup's over/under is set at 233.5. Los Angeles defeated the Grizzlies 117-112 in their last encounter on Friday.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves has enjoyed a historic start to the new season as the team deals with injuries.