Of all the things Lakers fans could hear from head coach Darvin Ham before the game, “status quo” is perhaps the last one they would want to hear.

Their team has been fighting uphill the whole first three weeks of the NBA season due to expected contributors who are either injured or inconsistent. There is nothing that anyone wants more of that.

But Ham used the phrase to characterize his lineup—or rather, one element of it: Cam Reddish starting for the second straight game in lieu of Austin Reaves.

The Lakers seem committed to it for the time being, as seen by the fact that they have given Reaves charge of the second unit and are hoping that Reddish would enable them to quickly step up their defensive intensity.

The Los Angeles Lakers are attempting to set themselves apart from their opponents and find a consistent facet of their brand as they approach a run of games that they ought to be able to win.

Then, when it mattered most, on Sunday, they seemed to find one once more.

They fought through defensive possessions, went for loose balls, zipped the ball around the court, and turned to Anthony Davis when it got down to the wire.

On Sunday night at the Crypto.com Arena, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, who were lacking in star power, 116-110. Several important players, including Damian Lillard, Damian Lillard, and Damian Lillard, were absent for the Trail Blazers.

During the first half of the game on Sunday, Lakers player Cam Reddish, pictured in the center, took a shot above the heads of Portland Trail Blazers center Duop Reath, on the left, and Lakers forward Jerami Grant. At the end of the game, Reddish had 18 points and seven rebounds. (Photo by Mark J. Terrill, courtesy of the Associated Press)At the end of the game, Davis had a total of 30 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists. Reddish and Reaves each had 18 points, Taurean Prince had 11, and D’Angelo Russell had 11 points and 11 assists. Rui Hachimura scored 19 points.

Reddish and Reaves each had 18. On a night when the available Trail Blazers played with freedom and confidence, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to dominate Portland despite the fact that their three-point shooting percentage was just 21.1%.The Lakers made the decision to rest James on Sunday afternoon due to a shin injury he sustained on Friday while leading the team to win in Phoenix.

James was able to finish off a much-needed victory despite the issue, which came about as a result of an awkward collision with Kevin Durant when the two players were in midair. However, the injury was severe enough for James to limp out of the building on Friday night, and he was given the day off on Sunday to rest and recuperate.As a result of his absence, the Los Angeles Lakers were forced to rely on the kind of balance and defensive effort that assisted in propelling them into the playoffs with so much momentum the previous year. These are characteristics that the Lakers have struggled to maintain consistently this season as they have looked for a rhythm.