The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their first loss of the 2026-27 season to the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Lakers had multiple chances to come away with their fourth consecutive win; instead, the Blazers matched the Lakers' offensive firepower.

Los Angeles' offense was once again a sight to see. Luka Doncic dropped 41 points in the loss, and in the process, he became the sixth Laker to notch 20 career 40-point games.

The offense was no problem. The defense failed the Lakers, and it hasn't gotten any better as the season has progressed. That was the case Tuesday night, as the total points they allowed was already worrisome.

JJ Redick Says Lakers’ ‘KYP’ Discipline Wasn’t Good Enough

After the loss, head coach JJ Redick pinpointed what exactly went wrong with his team's defense.

“We just got broken down a lot,” Redick said.

“I thought the game-plan discipline, KYP (know your personnel) discipline wasn’t where it needs to be. And I think sometimes early in the season, these are good learning lessons that we can all apply, both as coaches and as players. How can we teach the scheme better? It was also an incredible shot-making game. Let’s also factor that in.”

The Lakers' defense was atrocious against the Blazers.

Portland had their way on the offensive side of the ball. The Lakers allowed Portland to score 56 paint points, 41 free-throw attempts and 18 three-pointers out of 36 attempts.

The Blazers shot 59% from the field and 50% from three. The Lakers were just as good on offense, shooting 56% from the field and 40% from three.

Lakers’ Defensive Problems Overshadow Another Strong Offensive Night

In the end, the Blazers got the easier, more timely buckets, with Damian Lillard hitting a clutch three with less than a minute left.

"We got good looks," Redick said

" I think we have to be able to rely on our defense every night, and if we score 129 points at home, we should be able to get enough stops to win and credit to Portland for sure. I said it before the game, it was going to be a great test for us because they're a really good basketball team. They showed that tonight.”

The Lakers have a quick turnaround as they will take on their Los Angeles counterpart, the Clippers, on Wednesday night.

The Lakers will look to get back to their winning ways and earn their fourth win of the season.

They won't have to wait long to get their revenge on Portland, as they are in the same NBA Cup Group. Portland and Los Angeles will square off on Nov. 6, once again at Crypto.com Arena.

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