Five takeaways from Lakers’ 107-93 loss to Portland Trail Blazers

The Lakers (2-11) lost their third in a row, falling to the Portland Trail Blazers (6-9). Here are five takeaways from the Lakers’ 107-93 loss Sunday at Staples Center.

1. The game was a lot closer than the final 14-point margin would suggest.

The Lakers were competitive for most of the night, getting to within three with 4:34 remaining after five consecutive points from reserve center Brandon Bass.

After getting a stop, Nick Young missed a jumper and Mason Plumlee got a dunk on the other end after a Lakers’ defensive breakdown, to put Portland up five.

Following a timeout, Kobe Bryant subbed in and took a quick three-point attempt, that led to a Blazers runout and an Allen Crabbe layup.

Julius Randle missed a layup, Bass fouled Damian Lillard on the other end and after two free throws, the Lakers were suddenly down by nine points with 2:43 left. That was the game right there.

Over the course of the season, a small sequence of plays just like that have been the difference between winning and losing for the Lakers.

2. Julius Randle notched his fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Randle is the Lakers’ top rebounder this season at 8.8 a game.

At 43.6 a night, the Lakers are 20th in the NBA in rebounding. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the best at 48.2 per game. The Milwaukee Bucks are last at 37.7.

Guard D’Angelo Russell set a career-high with nine rebounds, nearing a triple-double with 13 points and six assists (tying his career-high).

Hibbert blocked four shots in 25 minutes but sat through the entire fourth quarter.

3. While he’s been preaching ball movement to the media over the last few days, Bryant seemed to take a step back as a facilitator.

A primary goal in basketball is to take high-percentage shots, which doesn’t really match Bryant’s approach Sunday night.

Bryant shot just six for 22 from the field, including five missed three-pointers. Shooting has been an issue all year for the veteran all-star, who is hitting just 33.1% from the field and 20.0% from behind the arc.

Bryant took 24 attempts on opening night in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He tempered that to 15 a night over the next eight games he played, not reaching 20 until the loss to the Blazers.

The Lakers shot just 36.4% from the field, finishing with 17 assists on 32 field goals (53.1%). They made up some ground on the Blazers at the line with 23 made free throws to Portland’s 13.

4. Russell continued to improve on the court, after a slow start to the season.

Over his last six games, Russell is averaging 12.5 points a game, up from 8.6 over his first seven. While his assists are just about steady at 3.3 over that stretch, his rebounding has climbed to 5.8 from 3.3.

Coach Byron Scott has pleaded for his team to improve on the boards, and Russell has made a dent there from the guard position.

His shooting is also flat over both periods at roughly 40%.

Defensively, Russell has a lot to learn. While he didn’t cover Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors) and Damian Lillard over the entirety of the last two games, both players lit up the Lakers.

At 19 years old, Russell’s progress is going to come in fits and starts, but over the past couple of games in particular, he’s looked more confident, decisive and aggressive on the floor.

Russell’s minutes have also climbed from 24 a game over the first seven, to 29 over the next six. Over his most recent two, the rookie averaged 35 minutes a night.

5. The Lakers are the only team in the league with two wins, better than just the winless Philadelphia 76ers (0-14).

The Golden State Warriors (15-0), the only undefeated team in the league, are the Lakers’ next matchup on Tuesday on the road. If the Warriors get the victory, they’ll set the record for number of wins to start a season at 16.

With the loss, the Lakers are now in last place, four games behind the eighth-place Clippers (6-7).

Looking ahead to the 2016 NBA draft lottery, the Lakers would have a 55.8% chance of a top-three pick in next June’s draft. If the Lakers fall below third, the Philadelphia 76ers will get the team’s pick as part of the Steve Nash trade, via the Phoenix Suns.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.