Theย Los Angeles Lakersย made easy work of theย Toronto Raptorsย in the second half, and pulled away for a monster 20-point victory tonight.ย LeBron Jamesย notched his second consecutive triple-double, whileย Anthony Davisย tallied 22 points before exiting with an eye injury in the third quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ commanding 123-103 win.
Davis sustained the injury when Jakob Poeltl’s hand accidentally struck his face as he attempted to block Poeltlโs dunk with 5:16 remaining in the third. The NBAโs current leading scorer, Davis was escorted to the locker room and did not return to the game.
James, in his 22nd season, delivered an impressive 19 points, a season-best 16 assists, and grabbed 10 rebounds for his third triple-double of the year and the 115th of his remarkable career.ย Austin Reavesย added a standout 27 points, helping the Lakers stay unbeaten at home with a 5-0 record. Following an impressive performance, here is a grade for every Lakers player tonight.
LeBron James: A+
Stats: 19 points, 10 rebounds, 16 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks, 0 fouls, 3 turnovers, 6-14 FG, 0-3 3PT FG, 7-7 FT, 35 mins
LeBron recorded his second consecutive triple-double, contributing 19 points, a season-best 16 assists, and 10 rebounds. His playmaking (especially without turnovers) kept the Lakers in control throughout the game. Jamesโ efficiency at the free-throw line (7-of-7) and leadership helped the Lakers secure this commanding victory, showcasing his ability to impact the game in multiple ways. Anytime James controls the pace of the game, as he did tonight, a weaker opposition such as the Raptors have no chance.
Austin Reaves: A-
Stats: 27 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks, 4 fouls, 0 turnovers, 10-17 FG, 3-9 3PT FG, 4-5 FT, 33 mins
Austin Reaves had a stellar performance, scoring 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting and adding 6 assists. His ability to step up offensively, especially with Davis out for part of the game, was crucial. Reavesโ 3-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc was respectable, though his four fouls slightly limited his defensive impact. Still, Reaves made up for the absence of Davis with his shooting threat and quick playmaking and had an excellent game.
Anthony Davis: B+
Stats: 22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 1 foul, 0 turnovers, 6-8 FG, 2-2 3PT FG, 8-10 FT, 26 mins
Davis scored an efficient 22 points in 26 minutes on 6-of-8 shooting before exiting with an eye injury. He was also perfect from three (2-of-2) and active defensively with 2 blocks. However, his absence in the fourth quarter limited his impact, though his contributions early on helped set up the win and also set the tone for the game. Hopefully, Davis won’t miss much time and can return against the Grizzlies on Wednesday.
D’Angelo Russell: B-
Stats: 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 0 blocks, 0 fouls, 1 turnover, 6-13 FG, 3-9 3PT FG, 0-0 FT, 27 mins
D’Angelo Russellย added 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-9 from three. He had a relatively quiet night in terms of playmaking with just one assist but provided needed scoring. While not his most dynamic performance, Russell contributed positively to the offense and was always a threat when he had the ball. Lakers fans will expect more from Russell for the season but scoring 15 points on efficient shooting will work.
Jaxson Hayes: B-
Stats: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 steals, 1 block, 4 fouls, 0 turnovers, 4-6 FG, 0-0 3PT FG, 4-6 FT, 21 mins
Hayes was solid in a supporting role, scoring 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting and securing 6 rebounds. His energy on both ends was helpful, and he even went 4-of-6 from the line, adding to his effectiveness. Although he picked up four fouls, Hayes provided an important inside presence and he was always a load to handle inside the paint tonight.
Cam Reddish: C+
Stats: 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 0 blocks, 2 fouls, 0 turnovers, 5-7 FG, 1-3 3PT FG, 0-0 FT, 29 mins
Cam Reddish had an efficient shooting night with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and he chipped in defensively with a steal. He played his role effectively, but his impact was mostly limited to scoring, as he didnโt fill the stat sheet in other areas and wasn’t exactly the best player defensively tonight. Still, he gets a C+ for shooting the ball well enough to have an impact.
Rui Hachimura: C
Stats: 4 points, 5 rebounds, 0 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 fouls, 0 turnovers, 2-11 FG, 0-5 3PT FG, 0-0 FT, 32 mins
Rui Hachimuraย struggled with his shot, going 2-of-11 from the field, including 0-of-5 from three, resulting in just 4 points. He contributed with 5 rebounds and added 2 steals, showing effort on defense. However, his inefficiency offensively hindered his overall impact and the Lakers will need their forward to contribute more, especially if Davis is set to miss time.
Dalton Knecht: C
Stats: 5 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 0 fouls, 0 turnovers, 2-4 FG, 1-2 3PT FG, 0-0 FT, 15 mins
Rookie Dalton Knecht played 15 minutes and scored 5 points on 2-of-4 shooting. He had a balanced stat line with 1 rebound and 2 assists, but his impact was minimal. His performance was solid, though unremarkable considering he did not get a ton of time on the court tonight.
Gabe Vincent: C
Stats: 5 points, 1 rebound, 0 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks, 1 foul, 1 turnover, 2-5 FG, 1-3 3PT FG, 0-0 FT, 18 mins
The struggling Gabe Vincent scored 5 points on 2-of-5 shooting in his 18 minutes. He added a rebound and a steal, but with just 1 turnover, his contributions were modest. While he didnโt have a standout night, he managed to contribute off the bench in spurts and the Lakers hope to get better performances from their backup point guard at some point.
Bronny James: N/A
Stats: 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 1 foul, 0 turnovers, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT FG, 0-0 FT, 2 mins
Bronny played just two minutes and did not record any statistics, so his performance is not graded. He made his appearance in the final 1 minute and 40 seconds in the game tonight for a decent cheer from the crowd.
Max Christie: N/A
Stats: 3 points, 1 rebound, 0 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks, 0 fouls, 0 turnovers, 1-1 FG, 1-1 3PT FG, 0-0 FT, 2 mins
Max Christie made the most of his limited time, scoring 3 points on his lone three-point attempt in two minutes. His contribution was brief but efficient, and we cannot give him a score because of his brief cameo.
Maxwell Lewis: N/A
Stats: 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 0 fouls, 0 turnovers, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT FG, 0-0 FT, 2 mins
Maxwell Lewis saw the floor briefly and didnโt record any stats, so he is not graded for his performance tonight.