NBA scores: Lakers fall to 0-2, Clippers down Grizzlies

The Lakers dropped their second game of a home/road back-to-back to open the season. While the offense sputtered in the team's 99-91 loss to the Mavericks on Tuesday night, the perimeter defense appeared to be the culprit in the loss to Portland. Point guard Steve Nash was forced to leave the game in the second quarter after a knee-to-knee collision with Blazers rookie Damian Lillard and is questionable for the Lakers' Staples Center showdown with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. Nicolas Batum led the way for Portland with 26 points and 6 rebounds, and Lillard looked stellar in his NBA debut with 23 points and 11 assists.

The Clippers notched a win in their regular season opener at Staples Center fueled by their much-improved bench. Jamal Crawford dropped 29 points on the Grizzlies on 10-of 14 shooting, and backup point guard Eric Bledsoe added 13 points in 17 minutes. Chris Paul led a balanced attack by the Clippers, finishing with 12 points, 12 assists, four rebounds and four steals. Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies' offense with 25 points and seven rebounds.