Story byMack BaltesSun, January 18, 2026 at 2:30 PM UTC·2 min readDrew Timme enters Lakers' rotation, posts career-high originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a brutal stretch, scheduled to play five games in seven days. Furthermore, injuries have taken a toll as of late. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFollowing Thursday's loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles faced the Portland Trail Blazers Saturday, looking to avoid their fifth loss in the last six games. Missing three starters (Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton), the Lakers got off on the wrong foot, getting outscored 40-27 in the first quarter. Despite playing without Deni Avdija, Portland remained in control, leading through 88% of the game and cruising to a 16-point victory. However, despite the loss, the Lakers saw encouraging play from a few of their bench players, most notably Drew Timme. Seemingly out of nowhere, Timme entered the rotation and played big minutes, coming off the bench to play 29, the second most of any Laker.