Ayton shone against his former team, recording 29 points on 14-of-19 shooting along with 10 rebounds and three blocks, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Hachimura added 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, while Smith delivered a breakout performance with 25 points, five 3-pointers, and six assists off the bench.
Playing without stars Luka Doncic (leg contusion), Austin Reaves (groin soreness) and LeBron James (sciatica), the Lakers extended their winning streak to four games. Smith, inactive in Sunday’s win over Miami, made the most of his 27 minutes, scoring 10 points in the decisive fourth quarter.
Deni Avdija led Portland with a season-best 33 points, while Shaedon Sharpe tallied 23 points and seven rebounds. Jerami Grant added 18 points, and Toumani Camara contributed 14 points and seven boards.
The Lakers shot an impressive 58.8 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. A late 10-0 run sealed the win, highlighted by back-to-back triples from Smith and a layup from Ayton that pushed the lead to 14 with just over two minutes remaining.
Portland shot 49.4 percent overall but struggled from deep, hitting just 9 of 40 attempts (22.5 percent). Despite leading 53-52 at halftime and briefly pulling ahead in the third quarter, the Trail Blazers couldn’t withstand the Lakers’ late surge.
