Portland’s Jerami Grant, left, scores the winning points on layup while being defended by the Lakers’ Anthony Davis during the Trail Blazers’ 106-104 win Sunday in Los Angeles. Alex Gallardo/Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Damian Lillard scored 41 points, Jerami Grant made a driving layup with three seconds left, and the unbeaten Portland Trail Blazers kept the Los Angeles Lakers winless under new coach Darvin Ham with a 106-104 victory Sunday.
Portland trailed 102-95 with 1:56 to play, but ended the game on an 11-2 run and won it when LeBron James missed a 17-footer at the buzzer.
Patrick Beverley, James and Russell Westbrook all missed shots for LA down the stretch, and Anfernee Simons hit a leaning layup over Anthony Davis with 36 seconds left to trim Portland’s deficit to 102-101. Lillard then drilled his sixth 3-pointer, but James drove straight through the paint for an uncontested tying dunk with 7.7 seconds to play.
Grant, who finished with 16 points, then drove and scored the tiebreaking bucket. James had a decent look at the basket on the final play, but couldn’t connect.
James had 31 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, while Davis finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots for the Lakers (0-3).
Lillard continued his longtime domination of Los Angeles, improving his career average of 28 points per game. Until the final minutes, it didn’t look like enough to beat the Lakers as they played their most complete game yet under Ham, the longtime NBA assistant in his first head coaching gig.
HORNETS 126, HAWKS 109: Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 24 points, Nick Richards added a career-high 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a reserve role, and Charlotte coasted to a victory in Atlanta.
The Hornets won decisively despite being without three projected leading scorers. LaMelo Ball has missed the first three games this season with a left ankle sprain. Terry Rozier couldn’t play after spraining his right ankle in the home-opening loss to New Orleans on Friday, and Miles Bridges has been sidelined since early July with three felony domestic violence charges.
CAVALIERS 117, WIZARDS 107: Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points in his home debut and atoned for some critical mistakes in the final minute of regulation with two big plays in overtime, leading Cleveland to a win over Washington.
Mitchell had a three-point play and steal in the final 1:43 of OT as the Cavs thrilled a sellout crowd that got its first look at the three-time All-Star since he came over from Utah in a blockbuster offseason trade.
Cedi Osman also had a three-point play in the extra session and finished with 16 points for Cleveland, which blew a seven-point lead in the last 47 seconds of regulation.
Jarrett Allen had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Cavs.
JAZZ 122, PELICANS 121: Lauri Markkanen capped a 31-point performance with clutch free throws late in overtime, Kelly Olynyk hit a go-ahead, driving scoop with 3 seconds to go in the extra period, and the overhauled Utah Jazz won in New Orleans to remain unbeaten through three games under new coach Will Hardy.
Utah had to regroup after losing a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter and trailing 110-107 when CJ McCollum hit a 3-pointer in the final minute of regulation. But Jordan Clarkson hit a tying 3 to force overtime and Utah had the benefit of not having to play against Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson in overtime.
NOTES
HEAT: Caleb Martin’s scuffle with Toronto’s Christian Koloko will keep him out of the Miami-Toronto rematch on Monday night.
Martin has been suspended for one game by the NBA, after the league determined he was the instigator in a scuffle with Koloko that spilled into the baseline seats near the Miami bench during a Heat-Raptors game on Saturday night.
Also suspended: Heat rookie Nikola Jovic, who was found to have left the bench area during the incident. Koloko was fined $15,000 for grabbing Martin during the altercation.
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