Depleted Lakers win fourth straight

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Short-handed Los Angeles Lakers essayed a 123-115 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers for their fourth win in a row in the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Monday night.

Deandre Ayton had 29 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots against his former team while Rui Hachimura added 28 points for the Lakers, who were missing both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves after both played the night before in a 130-120 victory over Miami.

Nick Smith Jr., who is on a two-way deal, hit a pair of 3-pointers to help the Lakers pull away in the final minutes and finished with 25 points.

Deni Avdija had 33 points for the Blazers, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

The Lakers were down to nine available players. Doncic, who had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against the Heat, was unavailable due to lower left leg contusion injury management. The injury forced him to miss three games earlier this season.

Reaves was ruled out because of right groin soreness after having 26 points and 11 assists against Miami. Ayton, who spent the last two seasons with the Blazers, was a game-time decision with back spasms but started.

In Denver, Nikola Jokic scored a season-high 34 points and had 14 assists, Aaron Gordon added 20 points and the Denver Nuggets never trailed in a 130-124 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.