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Lakers-Trail Blazers Preview

Nov 27, 2015 - 9:32 PM The Portland Trail Blazers' only wins in the past three weeks have come against the NBA's two Los Angeles teams.

The Blazers will get to face both clubs again in back-to-back games, beginning with a home game versus the Lakers on Saturday night.

Portland (6-10) ended a seven-game slide - its longest in three seasons - with a 102-91 win over the Los Angeles Clippers last Friday and beat the Lakers 107-93 two days later. The Blazers couldn't keep that run going Tuesday, losing 93-88 to visiting Chicago.

Damian Lillard finished two assists shy of his first career triple-double and scored a team-best 19 points, but missed 18 of 22 shots and all six from 3-point range. He missed a potential tying free throw with 20.7 seconds remaining in what was a one-possession game for much of the final six minutes against one of the Eastern Conference's top teams.

"We know we can beat anybody," center Mason Plumlee said. "It's not, 'Oh we can play with anybody.' We know we can beat anybody. ... The next step is just winning."

Beating the West-worst Lakers (2-12) or the struggling Clippers on Monday at Staples Center might come easier.

The Blazers shot a season-low 35.2 percent Tuesday but did hold the Bulls to 38.4. Portland has limited its last six opponents to a combined 40.8 percent.

"I think we should also be excited the way we defended tonight and gave ourselves a chance to win the game," Lillard said. "We've got to keep that mindset and keep that type of focus and do it every game."

Portland had a more complete effort against the Lakers, shooting 49.4 percent while holding Los Angeles to its second-lowest mark of the season (36.4).

Lillard scored 30 points while dishing out a career-high 13 assists. C.J. McCollum chipped in 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting as the Blazers' backcourt outdueled the Lakers' young duo of Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell.

Clarkson had a team-leading 19 points in that game but was held to four on 2-of-11 shooting in a 111-77 drubbing at Golden State on Tuesday. Kobe Bryant was limited to four points while missing 13 of 14 shots in the Lakers' fourth consecutive loss and sixth in a row on the road.

"It's tough out there," guard Nick Young told his team's official website. "We've got to find our identity. Like I've been saying, everybody's a great one-on-one player, but we've got to work on team ball."

The Lakers, 0-8 against West teams, have lost six in a row to the Blazers for their longest skid in the series since an eight-gamer Feb. 18, 1993-Jan. 9, 1995.

Lillard has averaged 28.7 points during the streak, and his 25.8 career average in 12 meetings with Los Angeles is his second-highest versus any opponent behind a 26.2 mark against San Antonio. McCollum has totaled 46 points while making 18 of 29 shots in the last two meetings.

Clarkson is averaging 21.0 points on 54.2 percent shooting in his past three matchups with Portland.

Bryant, averaging 15.2 points on 31.1 percent shooting, had 18 points and missed 16 of 22 shots in last weekend's defeat. He's averaged 33.1 points in his last seven games in Portland but hasn't played there since scoring 47 in a 113-106 win April 10, 2013.

Los Angeles has lost 14 of 18 in Portland.