The questions the Lakers had to face as they returned to Southern California after a one-game trip to the Bay Area revolved around how this new group would respond to early-season adversity.
The answer: Pretty well, for the most part.
Less than 48 hours after blowing a 25-point lead that resulted in a 17-point loss to the Warriors, the Lakers bounced back with a 131-125 win over the Raptors on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena to improve to 5-2 on the season.
The rhythm of Sunday’s game was similar to Friday’s.
Luka Dončić once again got off to a hot start en route to a spectacular performance.
But this time, it was his effort on both ends of the floor that stood out, with his four steals and two charges drawn in the first quarter being just as impactful as the 16 points he scored in the opening frame.
The Slovenian superstar finished with 45 points (12-for-23 shooting, 8 of 12 on 3-pointers), 15 rebounds, six assists and five steals in 35 minutes against the Raptors.
It was his second 40-point, 10-rebound, five-steal game as a Laker, and he’s still the only player in franchise history to reach those statistical benchmarks in a game.
Dončić, the league’s leading scorer, has scored at least 37 points in four consecutive games.
His performance was supported by 19 points and four assists from Austin Reaves, 14 points off the bench from Collin Sexton and a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double to go with three blocked shots from Walker Kessler.
The Lakers controlled most of the game, leading by as many as 26 points early in the third.
The Raptors cut their deficit down to nine midway through the fourth before the Lakers regained composure.
But once coach JJ Redick emptied the bench with his team having what seemed to be a comfortable 14-point lead, the Lakers quickly lost control of the game, with the Raptors going on a 11-2 run to cut their deficit to 125-120 before Redick subbed Doncic, Reaves, Kessler and Matisse Thybulle back in with 44 seconds left.
