Lakers 'Stuck in the Mud' in Loss vs. Trail Blazers, Says HC Frank Vogel

Coming off a 115-107 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said the team was "stuck in the mud" throughout the game.

L.A. came out strong with a 30-22 lead at the end of the first quarter and dropped 31 points in the third quarter. In the second and fourth quarters, though, Los Angeles scored just 46 points and gave up 67.

Portland did a good job of containing Anthony Davis, who was held to season lows in points (13), field-goal attempts (14) and field-goal percentage (42.9). LeBron James played well, registering 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists on 11-of-20 shooting (3-of-7 from three).

Meanwhile, Damian Lillard scored 21 of his 31 points after halftime for the Blazers. Gary Trent Jr. also provided a spark off the bench with 28 points on 7-of-11 three-point shooting.

After their season-opening defeat against the Los Angeles Clippers, the defending champion Lakers knocked off the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves by a combined 59 points.

Monday's game against the Blazers was the second night of a back-to-back—most likely just an off night against a quality opponent—but Vogel knows his squad can't let up during the truncated 2020-21 season.