Lakers return to 2nd round for 1st time since 2012 after beating Blazers

The Los Angeles Lakers are heading back to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2012 after beating the Portland Trail Blazers 131-122 on Saturday.

The win was the Lakers' fourth straight, giving L.A. a 4-1 series victory. The team will face the winner of the series between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder, which the Rockets lead 3-2.

With Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard away from the team due to an injured right knee, CJ McCollum led Portland with 36 points, while 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony produced a vintage performance - 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting. It wasn't enough to keep pace with the Lakers' generational talents, however.

Big man Anthony Davis dropped a game-high 43 points on 14-of-18 shooting with nine rebounds while teammate LeBron James recorded a 36-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double.

For James, the outing added to his already gaudy postseason records. He's now 14-0 in the first round during his career, and the 35-year-old tied Robert Horry for the third-most career playoff appearances with 244 - seven behind Tim Duncan (251) and 15 behind all-time leader Derek Fisher (259).

James also recorded the 25th postseason triple-double of his career; he's just five behind all-time leader Magic Johnson (30).

For Portland, the loss concluded the team's unlikely run to its seventh straight postseason appearance, tied with the Toronto Raptors for the NBA's second-longest active streak.

The Trail Blazers were one of five Western Conference teams outside the playoff picture that were invited to the season restart in Orlando. They outmaneuvered the red-hot Phoenix Suns and the always-sturdy San Antonio Spurs down the stretch of the seeding phase before defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in round to advance to the postseason as the No. 8 seed.