The Los Angeles Lakers handed the Portland Trail Blazers a loss at home on Friday, Nov. 6, in an NBA game decided by one lopsided quarter after halftime and nearly undone in the last one. Both teams were playing for the second night in a row after road wins on Nov. 5, the Lakers 116-103 at Sacramento and Portland 132-119 at Phoenix.

The result also settled a score. The last time these teams met, on Oct. 28 in Los Angeles, the Trail Blazers won 136-129.

Portland’s Fast Start Fades by the Break

Portland controlled the opening quarter, taking it 29-20 as the Lakers struggled to keep pace. Los Angeles answered in the second period, winning it 33-31, but the visitors still carried a lead into the locker room.

A 34-15 Third Quarter Swings It

Everything changed after the break. The Lakers took the third quarter 34-15, holding the West’s top team to its lowest-scoring period of the night and turning a halftime deficit into a comfortable cushion heading into the fourth.

Portland did not go quietly. The Trail Blazers won the final quarter 43-37, their best period of the game, and pulled closer down the stretch. The Lakers’ third-quarter margin proved just enough to absorb the late push.

What It Means in the West

Portland came into the night first in the Western Conference and atop the Northwest Division at 6-1, a mark that included a 112-90 win at Utah and a 118-110 win at Denver during a run of three straight victories. That streak is over.

The Lakers entered third in the West and first in the Pacific Division at 7-2. Their only loss in their previous five games was a 112-95 defeat at Golden State on Oct. 31, and Friday’s win extended a streak that already included a 138-117 home win over Miami on Nov. 3 and a 131-125 win over Toronto on Nov. 2.

Beating a division leader that had already beaten them in their own building gives the Lakers a measure of reassurance about how they match up with the conference’s early pacesetter.

Both teams play again on Sunday, Nov. 8. The Lakers head east to face the Detroit Pistons, while the Trail Blazers return home to host the San Antonio Spurs.