The Los Angeles Lakers managed to secure their fourth win (131-125) on Friday and snap their first 2-game losing streak of the season. Led by LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the rest of the starters, the Lakers battled their way to victory against the Raptors and upheld a longstanding tradition of dominance for the King against the Canadian franchise.
Anthony Davis is on track to be in the MVP conversation this season and he had another outstanding game tonight with 38 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks on 70% shooting. His defense and interior play were key to helping the Lakers keep their lead in the second and third quarters. Meanwhile, LeBron James had one of his best games of the year with 27 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds in 36 minutes (9-17 FG). Austin Reaves finished with 20 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals as the starting shooting guard.
The Toronto Raptors lost the first quarter by 24 points and it continued like that for a while until something changed in the second half. It wasn’t until midway through the fourth quarter that they made it close again… before ultimately letting it slip away. Young guard Grady Dick was the story of the night for them with 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists on 13-26 shooting. He had help from RJ Barrett, who led the team in scoring with 33 points, 12 assists, and 5 rebounds 63% shooting. Australian big man Jakob Poeltl finished with 19, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks on 64.3% shooting.
In the end, as much as the Raptors fought, the final result was exactly how it should have been. Even with talented veterans like RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl, they are still a rebuilding team with a roster full of young and inexperienced players. They played like it tonight and the Lakers were able to capitalize with arguably their best performance of the season from start to finish.
Unbelievable Start From LeBron James
The dominance began in the first quarter, and LeBron James set the ball rolling. Despite playing in Cleveland two days ago, he began the first half like a man possessed tonight. Within the first 12 minutes, he had 14 points and 2 rebounds on 71.4% shooting from the field. He was perfect from the three-point line, thanks to the Lakers constantly running sets and freeing him up with screens.
His hot streak continued in the second quarter, when he dropped another 12 points, 5 assists, and 2 rebounds to help the Lakers take a 19-point lead into half-time. By setting the tone early, James kept the Raptors under constant pressure and allowed him time to rest later in the game
Of course, it wasn’t planned for the Raptors to turn the game around, but the Lakers might have actually lost if not for James’ explosion in the opening quarters. Going forward, if LeBron can expend his energy helping the Lakers build up big leads in the first half, it will leave him more time to rest for the final two frames and might further preserve his health for the long run. It’s obviously easier said than done but we saw tonight how easily the Lakers can build a lead when LeBron has it clicking like he did in the first 24 minutes. Hopefully, they can get better at holding the lead down the stretch of the game.
Ball Movement Unlocked The Offense
In a growing theme for the Lakers, they also shared the rock tonight just like JJ Redick wanted. Four Lakers players finished in double figures and Rui Hamimura nearly made the fifth after finishing with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist in the game.
The Lakers had 21 assists as a team, proving that Redick is having the Lakers play a more passive style of basketball. With drive and kicks, screens, and simple hand-offs, the Lakers were able to generate easy looks and go up big against a weaker Raptors team. It was the Lakers at their best and it was a reminder of how dangerous they can be when playing team-focused basketball.
In the third quarter, we saw the Lakers go back to playing isolation offense, just like they did with Darvin Ham during some of their darkest times. The Raptors were able to seize control in the second half but the Lakers snapped out of the old habits and began to play their proper form of basketball once again.
36 Points From The Free-Throw Line
Lakers fans initially panicked when their team allowed the short-handed Raptors to make a comeback in the third quarter but thanks to frequent trips to the free-throw line, they were able to withstand the run and hold onto their lead to win the game.
The Lakers went 36-41 from the charity stripe, but it wasn’t some kind of anomaly. The team currently ranks fourth in the NBA in free throws made and they rank fifth in total attempts with an average of 27.8 per game. Down the stretch, the Lakers were able to put points on the board through free throws and it’s clearly an area where they feel comfortable this season.
Needless to say, the Lakers are happy with the win and while it was far from the cleanest performance, the Lakers showed why they are not the same squad that finished 7th in the West a season ago.
With a new coach, a pair of new rookies, and a clean slate, the Lakers have become an entirely different team and the results are showing that in the first six games so far. Fortunately, they have a break for the net two days before their next game against the 1-5 Pistons on Monday and it’ll be a good chance to keep the momentum going.
