Portland, OR (My Sportsbook) - Rasheed Wallace scored 28 points to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 102-90 victory over the
Los Angeles Lakers at the Rose Garden.
Damon Stoudamire added 16 points and Antonio Daniels chipped in 10 for the Blazers in their season-opener. Portland shot 46 percent from the floor and held the Lakers to 41 percent.
Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but he left the game briefly in the second quarter after twisting his ankle and the Lakers never recovered.
With Shaquille O'Neal on the injured list and Rick Fox serving a six-game suspension, the Lakers are 0-2 to start the season for the first time since 1990-91. Bryant scored 27 points and had 10 rebounds in LA's season-opener, an 87-82 loss against San Antonio on Tuesday.
Trailing by two points after one quarter, Portland pulled away by outscoring the Lakers 39-17 in the second frame. The Lakers led by four early in the quarter, but faltered when Bryant left the game. Trailing 29-27, the Blazers scored 20 straight points over a five-minute span to take a 47-29 lead. Daniels had seven points and Sabonis added six in the run, as Portland made 8- of-11 shots and held the Lakers scoreless on five shots.
Bryant hit a three-pointer, the Lakers' first field goal in 6 1/2 minutes, but Portland answered with seven straight points to push its lead to 56-34. The Blazers held a 60-40 lead at the break.
Bryant got the Lakers back within 18 points, trailing 64-46, early in the third quarter, but the Lakers did not get any closer in the frame. Portland pushed its lead to 23, at 84-61, going into the final frame.
With the Blazers in cruise control, the Lakers got only as close as 12 in the fourth quarter.
Portland's Arvydas Sabonis scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds in his first game after a one-year absence from the NBA.
Stanislav Medvedenko had 15 points off the bench, Robert Horry scored 12 and Soumaila Samake added 10 in the loss.
Portland opened a 12-6 lead after four minutes in the first quarter, but Bryant rallied the Lakers back to a 16-16 tie with a three-pointer and a lay- up in consecutive possessions. Derek Fisher made a three-pointer to give the Lakers a lead and LA held on for a 23-21 advantage at the end of the first quarter.