LOS ANGELES — In a commanding performance, LeBron James notched his second consecutive triple-double, while Anthony Davis contributed 22 points before leaving the game due to an eye injury during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 123-103 triumph over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday evening.
Davis sustained the injury when he was inadvertently struck in the face by Jakob Poeltl’s hand while attempting to block a dunk with 5:16 remaining in the third quarter. The esteemed nine-time All-Star, who was the league’s scoring leader heading into the game, exited for the locker room and was subsequently ruled out.
James finished the night with 19 points, a season-best 16 assists, and 10 rebounds, marking his third triple-double of the current season and the 115th of his illustrious career spanning over two decades.
Austin Reaves emerged as a vital scoring option for the Lakers, pouring in 27 points as the team maintained a perfect home record of 5-0. This win also marked the second time Los Angeles defeated Toronto in just nine days.
For the Raptors, Chris Boucher and RJ Barrett each scored 18 points, but the team struggled, suffering their fourth consecutive loss and eight defeats in their last nine games.
Bronny James participated in the final 1:40 of the game.
Takeaways from the matchup showed that for the Raptors, Immanuel Quickley returned to action with 12 points after previously missing eight games due to a pelvis injury. Poeltl also had a strong outing with 14 points and 10 rebounds, effectively contesting Davis for most of the game.
On the Lakers’ side, their current record of 6-4 marks the first time in four seasons that they have achieved a winning record after 10 games, although Davis’ injury poses a potential setback for the team’s momentum.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when the Lakers found themselves in a double-digit deficit early on. However, they concluded the third quarter on a 16-5 run immediately following Davis’ departure, eventually taking a lead they would not relinquish after a key three-pointer from rookie Dalton Knecht.
An interesting statistic reveals that since turning 37 in December 2021, James has recorded 13 triple-doubles. This places him in an elite group, as only six other players in NBA history have achieved such a feat post-37, totaling just eight occurrences combined.
Looking ahead, the Lakers will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, while the Raptors conclude their five-game road trip in Milwaukee on Tuesday.