The Los Angeles Lakers won last season's series with the Portland Trailblazers 3-1, the first time the Lakers won the season series since 04-05) but are down 0-1 this year having already traveled to Portland earlier in the year. When they host the Blazers tonight at the Staples Center, they'll have a chance to even the series against the team which has had the Lakers' number more-so than any other in the last two decades.
LA's fortune against the Blazers at the Staples Center has been sunnier, where the Lakers are 17-5 against the Blazers all time and have won seven of their last eight.
Kobe Bryant set his series mark in 2006-07, scoring 65 points on March 15th at the Staples Center. In 53 career games against Portland (47 starts), Bryant is averaging 27.4 points. In his last 22 regular season games against the Blazers, he has upped his average to 31.5 points per game.
The Lakers only face the Blazers three times this season, with the potential rubber match at Staples Center in a month. If the relevant trends continue, the Lakers could have just their fourth series victory against the Blazers since 1989.
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