No Big 3, no problem: Nick Smith Jr. helps lead Lakers to win over Portland

Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times on Nov 4, 2025

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PORTLAND, Ore. — With all three of their biggest stars out, the Lakers gutted out a 123-115 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at Moda Center, relying on two-way guard Nick Smith Jr. to spark their fourth consecutive win.

Smith, playing on a two-way contract with the South Bay Lakers, scored 25 points with six assists off the bench as Luka Doncic (leg) and Austin Reaves (groin) sat out.

Rui Hachimura had 28 points while Deandre Ayton, returning from a one-game absence because of back spasms, scored 29 points with 10 rebounds and three blocks against his former team. Bronny James, one night after playing significant fourth-quarter minutes to help the Lakers hold off the Miami Heat, tied with Smith and Jake LaRavia for the team lead with six assists each.

As LeBron James’ absence approaches the four-week mark, Doncic and Reaves sat out for the second leg of a back-to-back after leading the Lakers to a win over the Heat on Sunday. Coming off his first triple-double of the season, Doncic missed his fourth game of the year while managing a lower leg contusion he suffered last week. Reaves sat out with right groin soreness.

Reaves started to feel discomfort in the first quarter on Sunday, Lakers coach JJ Redick said, but played through it to score 26 points with 11 assists in the win. The team is hoping to get more information Tuesday before playing against the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.

That game will be the Lakers’ seventh in 11 days, one of the team’s busiest stretches of the season. The loaded schedule, combined with a fast-paced, physically demanding style of play, has made nagging injuries part of every team’s season. The expectation that a player would appear in all 82 regular-season games is likely a thing of the past, Redick said.

“It’s a different game [than in the ‘90s and early 2000s],” Redick said. “We’ve got the tracking data from since 2013 and players are covering 20 to 25% more of the court on every possession. And there’s more possessions, so there’s a toll to the style of play.”

The Lakers’ payment sat on either side of the bench Monday as Reaves, dressed in black sweats with a black Lakers hoodie, sat on an elevated seat cushion next to the coaches and Doncic sat on the end of the bench wearing a hoodie with his personalized logo.

James, approaching the four-week mark since the team announced he would be sidelined with a sciatic nerve injury in his right side, is “progressing,” Redick said, but the team has no official update on the 40-year-old superstar.

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