LeBron James scored 23 points, Anthony Davis had 21 points and 12 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 128-111 on Tuesday night for their seventh win in eight games. D’Angelo Russell shot 7 for 14 from 3-point range and scored 25 points, Rui Hachimura had 14 and Max Christie 12 as the Lakers handed slumping Toronto a 14th straight loss.
Quick Read
- Lakers’ Victory: LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 128-111 win over the Toronto Raptors, marking their seventh victory in the last eight games.
- Player Performances: D’Angelo Russell scored 25 points, shooting 7 for 14 from 3-point range. Rui Hachimura and Max Christie also contributed significantly with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
- Toronto’s Losing Streak: The defeat added to Toronto Raptors’ struggles, extending their losing streak to 14 consecutive games.
- LeBron’s Efficiency: LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, shot an impressive 10 for 12, contributing 23 points and nine assists to the game.
- Rest for Stars: Both Davis and James had reduced playtime, with Davis sitting out the fourth quarter and James exiting early, allowing them to rest ahead of their next game against the Washington Wizards.
- Coach’s Expectations: Lakers coach Darvin Ham anticipates James and Davis will play in the upcoming game against the Wizards, contingent on their condition the following morning.
- Raptors’ Challenges: RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, returning from absences, led the Raptors in scoring. However, the team continues to deal with injuries and was without Gary Trent Jr., Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, and Jontay Porter.
- Injury Updates: Raptors’ Bruce Brown exited the game due to a sore right knee, while the Lakers’ Cam Reddish was unavailable for personal reasons, and Gabe Vincent was resting due to recent knee surgery.
- Upcoming Games: The Lakers are set to face the Washington Wizards, and the Raptors will play against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their next matchups.
The Associated Press has the story:
LeBron James scores 23 points, leads Lakers to beat Raptors 128-111
Newslooks- TORONTO (AP) —
LeBron James scored 23 points, Anthony Davis had 21 points and 12 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 128-111 on Tuesday night for their seventh win in eight games. D’Angelo Russell shot 7 for 14 from 3-point range and scored 25 points, Rui Hachimura had 14 and Max Christie 12 as the Lakers handed slumping Toronto a 14th straight loss.
The NBA’s career scoring leader, James shot 10 for 12 and had nine assists.
James came in having matched his career high with nine 3-pointers in Sunday’s win at Brooklyn. The 20-time All-Star took just one shot from distance against the Raptors, connecting with 5:22 left in the third quarter.
Davis sat the entire fourth quarter, while James checked out with 9:22 remaining in the final period after Los Angeles extended its lead to 27, 109-82. The Lakers visit the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
James said he appreciated the chance to get an early start on his postgame routine.
“It absolutely helps,” he said. “Every minute counts. I was able to get back here and get going on the treatment and my prep, and start preparing my body, hopefully, for tomorrow night.”
Lakers coach Darvin Ham said he expected to have both James and Davis available against the Wizards, who beat Milwaukee on Tuesday night.
“We’ll see how they feel when they wake up in the morning but, in all likelihood, I’m sure they’ll play,” Ham said.
James has scored 20 or more points in five of his past six meetings with Toronto.
“He’s just so elite,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “It’s amazing to see a player at this age, after 20 years in the NBA, to play at this high a level. We never saw anything like it.”
RJ Barrett scored 28 points and Immanuel Quickley added 20 for the Raptors. Toronto lost a franchise-worst 17 consecutive games in 1997-98.
Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr. sat to rest, while Barrett and Quickley returned after missing time because of personal reasons and reconditioning. The pair combined for 17 points in the first, but the Lakers closed the quarter with an 18-4 spurt to lead 34-25 after one.
Los Angeles held a 64-58 edge at the intermission. James and Davis each scored nine points in the third as the Lakers stretched their lead to 100-79 after three.
“We challenged the guys,” Ham said of his halftime message. “They responded with a big defensive third quarter.”
The Raptors remained without five injured players, including starters Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl. Toronto two-way player Jontay Porter missed his fifth straight game as he remains under investigation for gambling allegations.
Raptors guard Bruce Brown left in the fourth because of a sore right knee.
Lakers forward Cam Reddish was not available for personal reasons, while guard Gabe Vincent sat on the opening night of the back-to-back games as he returns from left knee surgery.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Visit the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
Raptors: Visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
