Lakers

2022 - 3 - 13

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Toronto Star"

Raptors keep hot streak going with commanding win over the Lakers (Toronto Star)

LOS ANGELES — The game was about five minutes old and Scottie Barnes had done anything he wanted. A basket on an offensive rebound and putback, a layup, ...

There is a slight fracture, still, but we’ve got to make a decision on whether we’re going to move forward and him back in there or just continue to wait.” I continue to say, over and over, I’m willing to live with a lot as long as we’re going out there and competing our butts off.” “Our guys get loosened up with that sunshine and they come out and play,” Nurse joked before the game. “It’s not dissimilar to where it’s been. Got an LA-fest this week, Lakers-Clippers-Lakers, Monday-Wednesday-Friday.” It reads like it was easy and in many ways it was: the Raptors were on their way to beating the disinterested and outmanned Los Angeles Lakers thanks to a rousing start to set them on their way.

Barnes, Raptors all over Lakers early in 114-103 win (q107.com)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scottie Barnes scored 15 of his 21 points in the first quarter and the Toronto Raptors held off a late rally by the Los Angeles Lakers ...

… The Lakers have allowed 100 points in 16 straight games. Barnes relished his first chance to play against James. However, James sent the rookie ducking for cover when he tried to save a possession while falling out of bounds. Los Angeles was 3 for 25 from the field and missed all 13 of its 3-pointers in the opening quarter. “I really just try to run, get those easy baskets,” Barnes said. Gary Trent Jr. had 28 points and Pascal Siakam scored 27 for Toronto, which has won four straight — all on the road. “It was a great, great start,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse said.

Lakers suffer another poor first quarter and can't recover in loss to Raptors (unknown)

LeBron James scored 30 points, but the Lakers had a second consecutive ugly first quarter en route to a 114-103 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday.

“It takes its toll on your individual psyche and the psyche of your group. The Lakers have lost 10 consecutive games on the road. The Lakers scored just 12 points in the first quarter, which was tied for a season low in a quarter. They got down and didn’t let go of the rope.” And we’re not letting go of the rope. “So we had thought there was a chance with the back-to-backs, he would sit out the second night.”

LeBron, hapless Lakers simply no match for surging Raptors (unknown)

The Los Angeles Lakers are like a TV drama that makes things that so many people might aspire to or dream about seem utterly miserable.

“There’s just too many too many times where we just get into big deficits,” said Lakers head coach Frank Vogel. “It takes its toll on your individual psyche and the psyche of your group and you're constantly trying to push your guys to be better and coach them hard but also trying to keep them lifted. They've never lost to James in L. A. and have won six straight in the building formerly known as Staples Center. The last time they lost was Nov. 30th, 2014. In contrast, the Raptors keep plugging. The Raptors are no one’s definition of NBA royalty, but they win. They needed the breathing room -- a 20-10 Lakers run cut the Raptors' lead to 11 with 3:20 to play but Barnes broke the L. A. pressure and made a perfect lob to Precious Achiuwa to calm things. They’re in ninth place in the West, a game ahead of 10th-place New Orleans. The championship James won with Davis in the bubble in 2020 stands as a James high point -- and nothing wrong with that. The Lakers could take a lesson from the Raptors, honestly. But it’s the only time the Lakers have made it out of the first round since he moved to Brentwood, and this season is setting up to be a new low point as they struggle to avoid missing the play-in tournament. The Raptors also surpassed the pre-season over-under for wins set for them by most oddsmakers. Pascal Siakam led the Raptors with 27 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, scoring more than 20 points for a personal-best seventh straight game. When LeBron James manoeuvred his way to Los Angeles prior to the 2018-19 season, it seemed like he had found the perfect place to play out his unfathomable career.

Lakers Lay an Egg Against Raptors (unknown)

For Los Angeles, tonight's game against Toronto was nothing to write home about — a brief recap will suffice for the 114-103 loss.

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Scottie Barnes Doesn't Back Down From LeBron James as Raptors Roll Past Lakers (unknown)

The Toronto Raptors watched Scottie Barnes go right at LeBron James in a crucial victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

He can prevent him from running into the post really deep and getting it down there deep with some body," Nurse said of the decision to start Achiuwa. "I thought he did good." He sized up James and went right at him, dribbling inside to the short mid-range, and rising up for a floater with James draped all over him. Whether it was the double teams Toronto sent his way or the second night of a back-to-back for the Lakers or just Father Time catching up to maybe the greatest of all time, his 30 points just didn't quite feel the same as they once did. It was just two games ago that he dropped 50 points on the Washington Wizards. But he and this Lakers team aren't the same. Sure, he put some scare into the Raptors late as Los Angeles cut Toronto's 28-point lead down to just nine, but he didn't have that otherwordly power he used to bury the Raptors with. A quarter later, he dribbled the ball off his knee, allowing the Raptors to connect on an alley-oop slam that Precious Achiuwa flushed to quell the Lakers' first-half run.