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The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Portland Trailblazers 93-75 on Wednesday, dropping Los Angeles to 0-2 in the preseason.
Although the Lakers struggled on their way to the 18-point loss, they were without Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard. After playing 19 minutes in the Lakers' preseason opener, Bryant sat out Wednesday with a strained right shoulder. Howard missed his second straight game as he continues to recover from a back injury he suffered last season.
Steve Nash led the Lakers in scoring against the Trailblazers, scoring 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Nash also dished out four assists and grabbed four rebounds in just over 25 minutes of action. While Nash was efficient, Pau Gasol was not. Gasol scored eight points but made just 3-of-12 shots.
Metta World Peace started at small forward and scored 12 points in 30 minutes. After making 5-of-11 three-point attempts in their preseason opener, the Lakers struggled from deep on Wednesday, making just 2-of-16.
The Lakers will look for their first win of the preseason on Saturday when they host the Utah Jazz.