TORONTO — In an impressive performance, Anthony Davis recorded a season-best 38 points along with 12 rebounds, while LeBron James contributed 27 points and 10 assists, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 131-125 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Austin Reaves also played a significant role for the Lakers, scoring 20 points, while D’Angelo Russell added 19. The team established a strong lead early on, which the Raptors struggled to close despite a late-game push.
Los Angeles enjoyed a lead that peaked at 26 points during the match, marking their fourth consecutive win against the Raptors. Nevertheless, Toronto made a notable comeback in the second half, fighting to reduce the deficit.
RJ Barrett highlighted the Raptors’ efforts with a season-high 33 points, pairing it with a career-high 12 assists, but it wasn’t enough to stop their fourth straight loss. Gradey Dick also shone with a career-high 31 points, while Jakob Poeltl added 19 points along with 12 rebounds.
In a notable moment, Lakers rookie Bronny James, who recently scored his first professional basket in a previous game against Cleveland, got a chance to play in the final 7.6 seconds of the match.
Looking at the key takeaways from the game, the Lakers managed to break their two-game losing streak, triumphing on the road for the first time this season. On the other hand, the Raptors introduced rookie guard Ja’Kobe Walter, who made his debut and scored five points, including a three-point play in the second quarter. Walter had been sidelined with a sprained right shoulder, missing both training camp and the start of the season.
One pivotal moment occurred in the fourth quarter when the Raptors narrowed the gap to 104-98. However, the Lakers responded with Max Christie hitting two free throws, followed by Rui Hachimura knocking down a pair of corner three-pointers to regain a comfortable lead of over ten points.
Notably, a key statistic revealed that the Lakers significantly outperformed the Raptors at the free-throw line, successfully converting on 36 of their 41 attempts, compared to Toronto’s 11 out of 13.
Looking ahead, the Raptors are set to honor Vince Carter by retiring his jersey during a halftime ceremony when they face off against Sacramento on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the Lakers will head to Detroit for their game on Monday night.