Raptors

The Raptors' dominated early and never looked back against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Here are 10 takeaways from the Raptors' 114-103 win,

He scored an and-one off a slick post move, got into the lane for a teardrop, worked the two-man game with Barnes to find space for a midrange jumper, was pesky on the offensive glass, and he was sent to the line a career-high 13 times on the night. Nurse went back to this lineup in the second half, but also recognized the need to bring his starters back early to calm the waters. Even with a bit of competence, the Lakers could have caught up to the Raptors in the fourth quarter, but they insisted on making silly errors that only added to the frustrations within the team. The Lakers were outrebounded 19-9 on the offensive glass, and shot only 18-for-37 in the restricted area. It was most apparent in the fourth quarter when VanVleet was attacking 34-year-old Wayne Ellington, who should not have been able to stay in front, except all the point guard could muster were two blocked threes since he couldn't create separation. Barnes went into his move, James matched him for strength and kept him to the edge of the paint, but the rookie still won the battle by putting up a hook shot over James that swished from 15 feet. 3. Barnes went head-to-head with James early in the game: The 20-year-old caught a pass on the wing and was about to go into his move, when he recognized the moment that was before him. Then in the third quarter, James ripped Barnes to the ground going for a loose ball, then whipped the ball as hard as he could against a helpless rookie to save possession. The obvious play was to attack the glass and stack bodies in the lane to contest, and that's exactly how the Raptors operated. The Lakers eventually shifted to a zone, which slowed the Raptors to some degree, and James became more willing to actually try on defence, which did limit Barnes the rest of the way. Barnes had a clear size advantage in the post, especially on a night where the Lakers started LeBron James at centre, and the Raptors rookie feasted on the coverage by getting to the rim at will. The Raptors didn't even play particularly well for prolonged stretches as the total lack of resistance almost neutralized their intensity, but the Lakers were too dysfunctional and too inferior to really ever make a comeback push.