Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Lakers Prediction: LeBron James activates playoff mode while Damian Lillard struggles to close out I NBA Playoffs 2020

The narrative of the NBA Playoffs series between the LA Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers has swayed quite a bit. The LA Lakers have turned the tables on the Portland Trail Blazers after their disappointing Game 1 defeat.

But there are still signs of hope for the Portland Trail Blazers, with Game 3 being a close one. The final score was 116-108 in favor of the LA Lakers.

Portland improved greatly in Game 3, especially when compared to Game 2 where they lost by 23 points and had no chance of winning by the end of the third quarter. But despite the improvement, there is still a lot to worry about for the Portland Trail Blazers.

The LA Lakers show their dominance

LA Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis have performed incredibly.

Many fans believe that the LA Lakers would have taken Game 1 if players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green had performed better. The truth about that game is that arguably all players except LeBron James underperformed. They failed to support their talisman well enough to win the game.

But to the LA Lakers fans' delight, players like Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, and even the aforementioned Caldwell-Pope have upped their game significantly since. They performed well in the blowout victory in Game 2 and followed it up with a good display in a hard-fought triumph in Game 3.

The player who was criticized the most in Game 1 for the LA Lakers, Anthony Davis had an amazing performance in Game 3, recording 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists, and almost scoring a triple-double too.

And, as always, LeBron James was incredible, recording 38 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists.

Former NBA star Eddie Johnson was impressed with James' outstanding display and tweeted the following in appreciation of the LA Lakers talisman's performance:

Hey @KingJames , I wonder how many haters you made lose sleep last night? You need to stop playing with their emotions! 😊👀#lakersvsblazers https://t.co/oeLql2dynP

— Eddie A Johnson (@Jumpshot8) August 23, 2020

LA Lakers star Anthony Davis has steeped up after being criticized.

Going head to head with the Portland Trail Blazers offensively whilst clearly lacking threat from the three-point range says a lot about the Lakers as a team.

But will that same lack of a three-point threat be the reason for the LA Lakers' downfall in this round?

The Portland Trail Blazers could be a potential nightmare for the LA Lakers

The Portland Trail Blazers can be their opposition's kryptonite.

Yes, that statement may sound absurd, especially after Game 2 in this series, but the Portland Trail Blazers can prove it to be true.

While the LA Lakers are elite defensively, the one chink in their armor is their outside defense. While Danny Green does help in that aspect, it is no secret that he has underperformed since the restart.

This is where the Portland Trail Blazers can exploit the LA Lakers' weaknesses and bring themselves back into the series. For that though, their backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum will need to perform well in every game.

Fortunately for the Portland Trail Blazers, Lillard and McCollum look ready for the job.

In Game 3, Lillard put in an impressive performance, recording 34 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, whilst shooting an elite 45% from three-point range.

Damian Lillard has been magnificent for the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Portland Trail Blazers' shooting guard hs not been left in the dust either.

McCollum has consistently stood up and delivered in challenging situations. In Game 3, McCollum recorded 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.

The Portland Trail Blazers still have more to offer, with Carmelo Anthony coming off the bench to consistently be an excellent sixth man for the team.

With everyone performing to the level they need to be, the only thing that the Portland Trail Blazers need to worry about is keeping their momentum and defensive structure intact.

In the last game, the Portland Trail Blazers kept up with the LA Lakers very well. The reason they lost was because of their performance in the third quarter.

The Portland Trail Blazers' offense stagnated significantly and they couldn't keep their defensive structure either. This led to the LA Lakers' offense picking them apart with ease during that period.

If they can prevent a repeat of that, there is a very real chance of the Portland Trail Blazers causing a massive upset.

What does the future hold for this series?

The LA Lakers have a lot to look forward to, but also a lot to be worried about. Their main offensive threat is Danny Green who is yet to come alive during the playoffs.

While the lack of three-point shooting would not have been much of a problem against any normal eighth-seeded team, the Portland Trail Blazers are anything but that.

Danny Green needs to perform well for the LA Lakers.

Even if the LA Lakers' dynamic duo of James and Davis keeps performing at the incredible level they are at now, the team's weaknesses may just force them to succumb to the Portland Trail Blazers.

On the other hand, the Portland Trail Blazers will need to continue to adapt. They will look to avoid another offensive explosion from the LA Lakers, and especially another blowout loss. What works for the Portland Trail Blazers is the fact that they are better equipped to cover for their weaknesses than the LA Lakers.

The LA Lakers are well and truly aware of the danger of Damian Lillard, as can be seen in the tweet below:

Lakers not playing any games with Damian Lillard tonight 😅 pic.twitter.com/g4BAQNJkSs

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) August 21, 2020

If the Portland Trail Blazers can rise and take that extra step, a victory and a potential revival may be on the cards.