Humiliation in Cleveland left the Los Angeles Lakers with a raging need to make things right. Those intentions jumped right out in their game against the Toronto Raptors. LeBron James led a surge, scoring 14 points in what would be a 43-point first quarter for the Purple and Gold. Their defense curbed the Raptors to 19. From then on it was supposed to be JJ Redick’s Lakers efficiently managing the lead. The unfolding, though, was them holding on against the Maples’ furious resilience.

The Raptors’ offense turned gears, and with the home crowd willing them on, they kept the Lakers on their feat. A 26-point lead condensed to single digits by the time the game ended. In the second half, anchored by Gradey Dick and RJ Barrett, the Raptors shot 58.8% from the field. Speaking about them, Redick may have masked frustrations over his own teams’ performance to give the young team without their All-Star Scottie Barnes much deserving praise.

“In the NBA, when you get a big lead, your focus can wane on the defensive end and I thought that’s what happened tonight. But you also have to give them a lot of credit. They play really hard,” the rookie head coach explained after the game.

The 40-year-old having made Anthony Davis a “hub” saw the Brow’s most brutal display against the Raptors. When the Laker offense faltered, Davis’ consistency ultimately allowed the 17-time champions to fend off the Raptors’ rally. His stat line reflected the powerhouse he has become under JJ Redick.

AD logged in a long day at the office, putting up 38 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks to help survive against Toronto. Still, his post-game sentiments had no mercy for his team’s performance. “Unacceptable. Yeah we won, we’ll take the win for sure because it’s hard to win in this league, especially on the road. But we’re a long way from where we want to be,” he bluntly said. As comes with winning a game on the road, the Lakers did more good things than bad.

A few good and a few bad for Anthony Davis’ Lakers

Firstly, they took great care of the ball. In the blowout loss to the Cavaliers, the Lakers turned the ball over 21 times, punishing themselves against a quick team. Tonight though, despite the Raptors’ energized intensity, they only committed 10 turnovers. Additionally, their transition defense during these errors limited Toronto to only 9 points off turnovers.

D’Angelo Russell also emerged as a positive. Offensively, the maverick guard was sharp. He scored 19 points with six assists and struck nylon on three triples, after going 2-12 in the previous two games. Furthermore, he also recorded the best differential for the Lakers, evidence of his defensive activity. However, they did repeat some past errors.

Jakob Poeltl continued to cause trouble for the Los Angeles Lakers. His six offensive rebounds led the game. The Raptors too enjoyed the same advantage on the offensive glass. They scored 20 points against the Lakers’ 11 second-chance points. Moreover, the Lakers didn’t have an answer for Poeltl’s interior dominance, scoring 68 points in the paint even with Anthony Davis’ presence.

However, at the end of the day, the Purple and Gold managed to break a two-game losing streak and get back to winning ways. Additionally, LeBron James may seem to have recovered well from his illness. He has been efficient in the last two games, back to beating Father Time as he has during the latter stages of his career.