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Lakers handed first loss, Pacific Division roundup
The Lakers drop their first game of the season to Portland, while the Clippers prepare to host Toronto without Kawhi Leonard and the Kings stay linked to Killian Hayes.
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Lakers drop first game of the season
Only one Pacific Division team was on the floor last night, and it cost the early frontrunner its perfect record. The Los Angeles Lakers fell 136-129 to the Portland Trail Blazers, a high-scoring setback that moves their record to 3-1. Even with the loss, the Lakers remain atop the Pacific, standing as the only team in the division with more than one win so far.
Their strong start isn’t erased by a single defeat, but it does tighten things slightly in a division where no one else has really taken off. The Golden State Warriors sit at 1-3, the LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns are both 1-2, and the Sacramento Kings are still searching for their first victory at 0-4.
Clippers to host Raptors without Kawhi Leonard
Off the court, news around the Clippers could shape an early-season storyline. CBS Sports reports that Kawhi Leonard, sidelined with a knee injury, will miss the Toronto Raptors’ visit to the Clippers’ new Intuit Dome next week. It’s the Raptors’ only trip to Los Angeles this season and would have been a notable return for Leonard to his former team’s new arena.
The Clippers didn’t play last night, but this confirmed absence becomes a key factor to watch for a team still trying to find its footing at 1-2.
European interest for former Kings guard
In Sacramento’s orbit, the headline concerns a former King. Hoops Rumors notes that Maccabi Tel Aviv has reached out to Killian Hayes about the possibility of signing a EuroLeague deal. Hayes, a point guard who finished last NBA season with the Sacramento Kings, remains in the news even while the current Kings are idle. For a team sitting at 0-4, it’s another reminder of the roster turnover and moving parts that continue to surround the franchise.