The statistic grows every year; the Lakers have not won in Portland for X amount of consecutive games. Last year, I watched the Portland blow out the Lakers during my own birthday dinner and for the rest of the night, there may as well have been a rain cloud following me. This is the statistic this year: Los Angeles has not seen a successful game against the Trailblazers for 9 consecutive games. What is it about this arena? Is it how close the crowd is to the floor, how loud it is, or perhaps the Trailblazers just have our number? Regardless, a number of factors can change the outcome of this game.

First, Portland’s star player Brandon Roy is out. Phil Jackson says he’s weary of teams that play without their star player. Perhaps then, the Trailblazers will be weary of the Lakers as Kobe Bryant was out as well. Bryant, who has been plagued by various injuries this season, is missing his first game since December 2006 due to a pesky ankle injury he recently re-tweaked. Understandably, this changes things immensely for both teams. The biggest question for LA was who would start in Bryant’s place? Regardless of who the starter would be, one thing was for certain; Sasha Vujacic was bound to get more minutes than he has been seeing lately.

Regular LA starters were Derek Fisher, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum, and Pau Gasol to be joined by Lamar Odom. This is one lineup Laker fans seldom get to see but often speak of. The Portland Trailblazer’s lineup consisted of LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Miller, Jerryd Bayless, Martell Webster, and Juwan Howard. The first quarter was a tough one. It was obvious our team was trying to get settled in and get some kind of rhythm going. Unfortunately, Andrew Bynum took a nasty fall, bruising his hip early in the game, and retreated to the locker room for some treatment. We finished the first quarter down by three points at 26 to 29.

In the second quarter, Bynum returned however sporadically and did not contribute as he was obviously still bothered by his injury. Later, we would learn he would not return at all in the second half. The Lakers previously allowed the Blazers an almost thirty point first quarter; however they managed to shut them down defensively enough to not allow that in the second. Sasha checked into the game at 7:17 mark in the second and helped play some defense against Portland while it was Ron Artest who made the biggest difference in the first half. His three straight three pointers to close the second, including a buzzer beater from midcourt, helped put the Lakers up by six points at halftime; 54 Lakers, 48 Blazers.

The third quarter was a real nail biter for fans that have been watching the games this season. The third quarter is a crucial one as it is one in which we have often seen the Lakers allow their opponents back into the game. Luckily, despite Bryant’s and Bynum’s absence, LA held off Portland in the third for nine point lead at 73 to 64. At the start of the fourth Sasha was back in the game, chasing his defenders around the court. These were some vital minutes for Sasha, and he did well as he put up one jump shot after another, both from the same spot on the court. It was great to see the Lakers playing team basketball; they really came together on this one.

The Lakers closed out the Trailblazers in the fourth quarter and won the game by 17 points at 99 to 82. Here are some numbers that stand out; Lamar Odom with 22 rebounds tying his career high. Shannon Brown, off the bench, was second leading scorer with 19. Sasha finished the game with 5 points, 2 rebounds, an assist and a steal in minutes of playing time. In his post-game interview with John Ireland, Odom said that ‘Sasha played great D, and made some great shots.’ I hereby declare the Rose Garden curse to be over! LA will come home and face the Spurs at Staples Center on Monday evening.