PREVIEW: The Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers clash at Moda Center on Monday night, with the Trail Blazers sitting at 4-2 and the Lakers at 5-2. The Lakers are heating up after winning five of their last six games, including a 130-120 victory over Miami , while Portland has won four of five and is seeking a fourth consecutive victory after sneaking past Denver 109-107. The Lakers excel at efficient attacking at the rim (ranked 2nd) and maintain a high free throw rate (ranked 3rd), but struggle with defensive rebounding and offensive rebounding efficiency (ranked 28th in both). Meanwhile, Portland boasts elite defensive prowess, ranking 1st in offensive rebounding (33.6 percent) and 1st in forcing turnovers, though they rank 30th in both three-point and attacking rim efficiency. Luka Doncic led the Lakers' recent win with a triple-double of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while Austin Reaves added 26 points with 11 assists. Deni Avdija paced Portland with 23 points on efficient shooting, while Shaedon Sharpe contributed 19 points in their win over Denver. The Trail Blazers enter as 3.5-point favorites and are putting their three-game win streak on the line against a Lakers team also riding three consecutive victories. Portland's defensive intensity cannot be overstated, as they lead the league in steals per game at 12.0 and rank first in forcing opponent turnovers at 22.3 per game.