Luka Dončić and LeBron James powered a balanced Los Angeles effort as the Lakers rediscovered their rhythm with a 110–93 win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.
Dončić finished with 25 points and seven assists, while James nearly matched him with 24 points and seven assists of his own. The victory marked just the Lakers’ second win in their past seven games and came in their final home appearance before embarking on an eight-game, 15-day road trip.
Deandre Ayton made a strong return from a knee injury, recording 25 points and 13 rebounds in a highly efficient outing. The center converted all 10 of his shot attempts and posted his highest scoring total since early November.
After sitting out Saturday’s loss in Portland to manage lingering injuries, Dončić was sharp in his return, knocking down five three-pointers. James, meanwhile, played in consecutive games for only the second time this season — and the second time this week — completing a demanding stretch of five games in seven days for the 41-year-old veteran.
Scottie Barnes led Toronto with 22 points and nine rebounds. Sandro Mamukelashvili added 20 points, and former Laker Brandon Ingram chipped in 19 points and seven assists. The Raptors, who had not lost consecutive games in nearly a month, faded late in the fourth quarter to open a five-game road trip.
The game remained close through three quarters, with neither team building a double-digit lead. That changed early in the fourth when James scored on back-to-back possessions to push the Lakers ahead 91–80. Los Angeles soon took firm control, rattling off nine straight points while holding Toronto scoreless for more than three minutes.
Dončić was assessed his 12th technical foul of the season in the first half for arguing a call, leaving him with the second-highest total in the league behind Phoenix’s Dillon Brooks.
Up next:
The Raptors head to Golden State for a matchup Tuesday night.
The Lakers travel to Denver to face the Nuggets on Tuesday night.
