Is another Lakers nail-biter enough to appease Magic Johnson?

Magic Johnson probably won’t be chewing out Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton again anytime soon.

Certainly not before next week.

The Lakers snapped a 16-game losing streak against the Portland Trail Blazers with a 114-110 victory Saturday night at the Moda Center in Portland, but only after a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter shriveled to five.

The end of the losing streak, dating back to 2014, took place three days after word leaked that Johnson, president of operations for the Lakers, ripped Walton for the team’s slow start.

Although Portland stormed back in the fourth quarter, the Lakers’ overall performance figures to appease Johnson, who aired out his displeasure Tuesday during a meeting with Walton in Johnson’s office, according to ESPN and the Los Angeles Times.

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At the time, the Lakers were 2-5. Now they’re 4-5 and still giving Lakers fans heartburn with their late-game struggles.

Saturday night, LeBron James had 28 points, seven assists, five rebounds and several clutch plays in the final minutes, and before the game he shrugged off questions about Johnson’s reportedly heated meeting with Walton.

"It doesn’t bother me at all because I don’t pay attention to it, I don’t listen to it," James told reporters after the Lakers’ morning shootaround. "It actually never even gets to me really, so it’s not a big deal for us.

"We need to figure out how we can string together some great games or even good games and bring our win total from where it is now. Because that’s the business we’re in. That’s the only thing we want to do. We want to be as good a team as we can be and win ballgames."

The Lakers took a wobbly but significant step in that direction Saturday night as James helped the Lakers withstand a late charge from Portland (6-3).

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"It wasn’t pretty, but we got the W," Rajon Rondo said on the Spectrum SportsNet broadcast after energizing the Lakers with 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists off the bench. "Give us credit. We did get a 20-point lead and we found a way to win."

In their previous game, the Lakers blew a 19-point second-half lead against the Dallas Mavericks before holding on for a 114-113 victory Wednesday.

With James on the bench in the third quarter, the Lakers went on a 16-0 run and led 88-73 heading into the third quarter. James cheered on his teammates as the Lakers’ lead grew to 20 points early in the fourth.

Walton said melding younger players and veterans has contributed to the team’s fourth-quarter struggles but told reporters the victory constituted a breakthrough for the Lakers.

"It shows that what we’re doing is working," he said. "It's tough to get a win in Portland when they don't have a good team. When they have the team that they have right now, it's even more challenging."

Building a lead, holding it or winning by any means Sunday night at Staples Center would probably keep Walton out of Johnson's office for any follow-up conversations. The Lakers will play host to the East-leading Toronto Raptors (8-1).

Follow Josh Peter on Twitter @joshlpeter11.