NBA: Doncic carries Lakers past Toronto, 131-125

Luka Doncic led the Lakers to a 131-125 victory over the Raptors on Sunday 1 November at the Crypto.com Arena. In front of 19,057 spectators, Los Angeles led by as many as 26 points before holding off a Toronto fourth quarter that the visitors won 43-27.

The result moves the Lakers to 5 wins and 2 defeats, 4th in the Western Conference. Toronto move to 3-3 and are 5th in the East. In the provisional injury report, Adou Thiero and Ziaire Williams were listed as out for the Lakers; Nate Bittle and Kawhi Leonard were listed out for the Raptors.

Toronto start fast, Los Angeles take control

The Raptors opened the game with their biggest lead of the night: 5-0, with 10 minutes 54 left in the first quarter. The Lakers' response quickly changed the picture. Los Angeles produced a 10-0 run to go from 3-6 to 13-6, then another 8-0 run to stretch the gap from 23-14 to 31-14.

By the end of the first quarter, the Lakers already led 36-23. That was the only lead change of the game. Toronto nonetheless revived some of the suspense before the break, with an 8-0 run that cut the deficit from 49-36 to 49-44. The Lakers answered with a 9-0 run and went into the locker room twelve points ahead, 66-54.

A maximum lead of 26 points

The third quarter gave Los Angeles its biggest margin. The Lakers won it 38-28 and reached 102-76 with 1 minute 33 left in the period. Going into the final quarter, the score was 104-82, wide enough to suggest the job was done, but not wide enough to put the Raptors away.

Toronto then stepped up a gear. A 9-0 run cut the score from 109-91 to 109-100, then an 8-0 run trimmed it again from 124-109 to 124-117 late on. The Raptors scored 43 points in the fourth quarter, but the comeback fell short. The game finished six points apart, 131-125.

Doncic in charge, Kessler solid near the rim

Doncic was the focal point of the game for the Lakers. He scored 45 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, made 8 of his 12 three-point attempts and finished 13 of 13 at the free-throw line. His 8 threes account for 24 of his 45 points on their own.

Alongside him, Walker Kessler provided inside steadiness with 16 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks and a perfect 6 of 6 from the field. Austin Reaves added 19 points in 39 minutes. Off the bench, Collin Sexton contributed 14 points and Sandro Mamukelashvili 11, enough to sustain the lead built by the starters.

For the Raptors, Scottie Barnes responded with 29 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. RJ Barrett added 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Jamison Battle gave them a quick offensive lift with 20 points in 17 minutes. Toronto got help from several players, but too late to erase the third-quarter deficit.

The numbers behind the scoreline

The starkest contrast lies in efficiency. The Lakers made 43 of 80 shots, against 45 of 105 for the Raptors. Toronto therefore made two more field goals, but on twenty-five more attempts. From three-point range, Los Angeles converted 18 of 37, Toronto 17 of 54. With 54 attempts from distance, more than half of its 105 shots, Toronto played the volume game. Its 17 threes were not enough to catch a Lakers side shooting 49% from behind the arc.

The Lakers also made more of the free-throw line: 27 of 32, against 18 of 25 for the Raptors. Toronto did win other areas, with 47 rebounds to 45, 35 assists to 26 and only 15 turnovers to Los Angeles' 24. Those edges were not enough to offset the Lakers' superior shooting.

The 24 turnovers cost the Lakers dearly: Toronto scored 30 points off them, against 23 the other way. Los Angeles made up for it on defence and around the rim, with 7 blocks to 1, 11 steals and 48 points in the paint, to the Raptors' 46. Fast-break points barely separated the two sides, 23 for Toronto, 20 for the Lakers.

The quarter-by-quarter breakdown sums up the night. Los Angeles took the first 36-23 and the third 38-28. Toronto won the second by a point, 31-30, then the last by sixteen, 43-27. The Raptors therefore won two periods out of four without ever regaining the lead after the first quarter.

The SNA view

Los Angeles won this game on efficiency more than control. The 24 turnovers left the door open for Toronto, and the final quarter shows the Lakers struggled to close the game out. But their outside shooting and Doncic's accuracy at the line built a lead that the Raptors never fully clawed back.

For Toronto, the finish offers reason to believe in a response, but it should not mask the first three quarters. After 36 minutes, the Raptors had scored 82 points and trailed by 22. The late surge made the score close; it did not wipe out the deficit they had run up.

What's next

The Lakers host Miami on 3 November at 4:00 Brazzaville time. The Raptors travel to face the Clippers at the same time. Los Angeles moves on with a winning record; Toronto will have to bounce back from a game in which their reaction came too late.