Anthony Davis, who is now a fixture on the injury report before every game thanks to plantar fasciitis, was on the shelf for Thursday's tilt with Portland at the Crypt. 

On paper, it was a good game for him to miss, because the Lakers ought to be able to beat the Blazers—among the worst teams in basketball—without him. And that's exactly what happened, though it turned into a nailbiter down the stretch. LA runs its record to 19-14, with an opportunity to get to 20 tonight against the Hawks. With Davis in street clothes, the Lakers needed, and got, big performances from LeBron James, who finished with 38 points including a blistering 7-10 from 3-point range. While he shot poorly (5-15), Austin Reaves did point guard stuff, with 11 assists. 

Quietly, though, the Lakers also rode a career high 28 points from Max Christie. 

Inserted into the starting lineup in order to improve the team's performance defensively, Christie has made major strides in his offensive output, as well. Thursday's career high surpassed the one he set about 10 days ago, and put Christie in double figures as as scorer in four of the last five games. As he piles up consistent playing time, it's not surprising to see Christie improve. This is the first time in his career Christie has been getting big minutes on a consistent basis. It's a trend that could have a significant impact on the team over the second half of the season, should it hold. 

And it comes just in time for the Lakers, who need to use a home-heavy schedule to solidify their place in the top six of the Western Conference. Counting tonight's game, the Lakers will play eight of their next 11 at the Crypt, and one of the three road games is a trip to Steve Ballmer's new building for the Clippers. The opponents aren't easy (which puts a major premium on winning tonight), but LA has been very good at home. 

One of the major issues facing the team is scoring. The offense continues to struggle, particularly in key moments of the game. If they're not going to have a lot of playmaking on the roster, the Lakers need secondary scorers who can convert the opportunities the team manages to create. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: LeBron does LeBron stuff, while Christie sets a career high. 

SEGMENT 2: The offense still gets stuck in the mud. 

SEGMENT 3: The January opportunity. 

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