Sometimes, you gotta just do it yourself.

Or yourselves, in this case.

Game 3 between the Blazers and Lakers stood to reward its victor with control over the series. And with that prize on the line, LeBron James and Anthony Davis seized the moment.

Just like I and many others expected, the Lakers would not be repeating their great shooting night from Game 2, and Damian Lillard and friends would not be repeating their performance either. However, down the stretch, it was the Lakers stars and defense from their counterparts that sealed the deal.

The Blazers came out with plenty of energy just as they did in Game 1, but this time the Lakers didn’t wait around to punch back. This was due in large part to the efforts of LeBron James, whose aggressive play carried the Laker offense through a tough first half that saw 10 or so missed free throws, and a scorching start for Blazer guard CJ McCollum.

In the second half, the Lakers turned up their defense to slow down the Blazer backcourt enough to maintain the lead. The Lakers’ supporting cast didn’t shoot the lights out again, but their shot making from the perimeter was timely, as KCP and Kuzma filled in as needed. You can throw Danny Green in there as well, who came up with an incredible defensive effort late in the fourth to silence any chances of a Portland miracle, which included two blocks in a single possession. Alex Caruso was the clear standout amongst the bench, totaling 10 points, 7 assists, and was a nagging fly buzzing in Lillard’s airspace all night.

JR Smith was in the rotation again to start the second quarter, as well as the fourth. He struggled to stay with McCollum defensively and once again couldn’t convert open looks, but did look comfortable out there. Dion Waiters was a DNP, and I’m beginning to suspect that his ‘tryout’ during the bubble games didn’t impress the coaching staff all that well. But it could just be that Frank Vogel and others don’t completely trust him defensively against the Blazers, who seem to have a well of solid guards they discover every year (Trent Jr., Simons, etc.).

But the story was of course, Bron and The Brow. The two combined for 67 points, 23 rebounds, 16 assists, and 4 steals. On top of that, credit AD with 3 blocks, including one impressive one on a Lillard-attempted poster, and LBJ with 4 made triples. Simply put, these two were as advertised, and did to Portland what they did to so many others during the regular seasons.

To nit-pick, LeBron had 8 turnovers, and despite how cool it was to watch him duel his old pal LeBron, Carmelo Anthony had stretches in which he looked unstoppable. If this is a warning that he’s really found his stroke, Melo might be able to help the Blazers even the series back up Monday night by taking pressure both figuratively and literally off Lillard and CJ.

But in all, this was another classic performance from these Lakers. Stellar D, timely offense when it’s not coming easily, and big time production from the best duo in the NBA.

Yes I said it. If you want to argue with me, check Paul George’s numbers right now before you do so.

The series is far from over, but man it’s been fun so far. Across the NBA, really, all these series have been phenomenal. Huge ups to commissioner Adam Silver and all those making this bubble possible. We, the fans, couldn’t be more grateful.

I wrote this right after the Clips-Mavs game, which was fantastic in every sense of the word. Potentially the game of the season so far.

So see you Monday, cheers, and before I go…

LUKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!