Short-handed Lakers beat Blazers for 4th straight win

PORTLAND, Ore. — It wasn’t a case of deja vu, because the situation the Lakers were in on Monday night was eerily similar to exactly one week ago.
They were once again down most of their ball-handlers against a stingy Portland Trail Blazers team – with Marcus Smart replacing Austin Reaves (groin soreness) as the team’s primary ball-handler.
But unlike a week ago, when they needed every bit of Reaves’ 41-point performance to make the game competitive, the Lakers were