The buzz in the Moda Center before this game was all about the return of Dame. He'd been out for five games with a sprained ankle and even though the Blazers looked pretty good without their star player, everyone wanted Lillard back. He had been listed as "probable" that afternoon and a loud ovation filled the arena when his name was announced in the starting lineup. The Lakers aren't a bad team this year, but they're young and even less experienced than our Portland upstarts. The Blazers should have won this game, and they did, though it was far from a sure thing. The lead changed hands throughout, but the home team finally pulled away in the fourth quarter for the win, 118-109.

One of the annoying things about seeing the Blazers play the Lakers here in Portland is the preponderance of gold- and purple-clad LA fans filling the seats. No other team inspires so many non-Blazer fans in our hometown. You'd think this trend would've died down once Kobe Bryant retired, but apparently Portland transplants still like their Lakers without Kobe. The cheers when LA scored were sometimes so loud that I'd forget for a moment who the home team was.

The first quarter looked good for the Blazers. Lillard eased back into his old scoring form, and Mason Plumlee had a fine start as well. The Blazers center had been playing great ball for the past month or so, and even though I've heard some fans describes his short limbs as "T-Rex arms," he seems to be holding his own with the various big men around the league.

But the second quarter was a disaster. The Lakers got hot, led by Jordan Clarkson and super-skinny rookie Brandon Ingram. LA went on a painful 15-0 run, leading by as many as 14 points. CJ McCollum and Lillard hit a few shots towards the end of the period and the Blazers finished the half down by 9, 62-53.

My usual halftime tour of fans in Blazers gear was stifled a bit by two factors: (1) the aforementioned hordes of Lakers fans lurking in the hallways, and (2) the cold weather, which caused folks to cover up more than usual. There were some nice Blazers winter caps on display, though. Like these:

This couple here had dueling caps going. He said he grew up in Portland during the infamous "jailblazer" era and was therefore drawn the superstars Kobe and Shaq down in LA. His girlfriend, however, was not so fickle.

These ladies knew how to show their Blazer love even in the winter weather:

I liked this group of Lakers fans, despite their flawed allegiance. They said they they traveled all the way from Compton for this game:

Coach Stotts must have given an inspiring talk during the break, because the Blazers came out firing in the second half. CJ McCollum continued his hot hand, scoring a game high of 27 points. This was his sixth game in a row with 20-plus points, a career best. But most pleasant surprise of the night was the awesome play of somewhat-maligned new guy Evan Turner. He was a force to be reckoned with, scoring all 20 of his points in the second half, 14 of them during the crucial fourth quarter. If Turner can become a reliable scoring option, and the defense can continue to improve, these Blazers could see a lot more success in their future.

The Lakers are much more likable team these days—young and scrappy, with a lot of heart. The crowd would at times begin that familiar chant—"Beat LA"—but it didn't have the same punch without legendary Blazer-killer Kobe Bryant on the floor. I suspect these two teams will develop a rivalry of sorts in the coming years, but for now, the Blazers are firmly in control. This was their ninth consecutive win against the Lakers, a franchise record. Beat LA, indeed.