On January 3, 2025, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the 18-win and 14-loss Lakers host the 11-win and 21-loss Trail Blazers. This was a must-win game for the Lakers, with Hayes returning but Davis and Vincent absent, significantly reducing their combat effectiveness. Could they defeat the Trail Blazers? The Lakers' starting lineup was Reeves + Christie + Hachimura + James + Hayes, while the Blazers were without Grant, starting with Simmons + Sharpe + Avdija + Kamara + Ayton. In the first quarter, Hayes dunked, Sharpe responded with a three-pointer, Hachimura and James scored four points, putting the Lakers ahead 6-3. Ayton made a hook shot, Hachimura dunked, and the gap remained at three points. Simmons, Kamara, and Ayton then took the lead by three points. Reeves and Christie scored, but Sharpe and Avdija responded, giving the Blazers a four-point lead. Klock and Finney-Smith scored, but Sharpe and Henderson responded strongly, increasing the gap to eight points. Klock, Knickert, and James narrowed the gap to three points. Kamara dunked, Klock dunked, and Murray made one of two free throws. At the end of the first quarter, the Blazers led 31-27. In the second quarter, Kling, Avdija, and Murray scored, while James continued to score, keeping the gap at four points. Avdija and Simmons scored, but Reeves made a mid-range shot and Christie hit two consecutive three-pointers, narrowing the gap to one point. Avdija scored again, but Hayes, Christie, and James scored in succession, giving the Lakers a four-point lead. Kamara and Sharpe scored, but James scored five points…