Luka Doncic put on another spectacular showing, pouring in 45 points and pulling down a season-best 15 rebounds to propel the Los Angeles Lakers to a 131-125 win against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night. The Slovenian guard also dished out six assists and registered five steals, aiding his squad in rebounding from a loss to Golden State on Friday.
Doncic connected on eight shots from beyond the arc and widened his advantage atop the NBA scoring standings by reaching at least 37 points for a fourth straight contest. He hit that mark within the opening three quarters versus Toronto and sealed the outcome late in the game, notching his 20th 40-point outing in 98 regular-season appearances for the Lakers.
Doncic paces the Lakers with 45 points versus the Raptors
The Lakers built a substantial cushion, holding a 102-76 lead with 90 seconds left in the third quarter. Nevertheless, Toronto battled back and trimmed the margin to single digits before Doncic and Austin Reaves answered with a swift 9-1 surge to regain some command.
Reaves ended the night with 19 points, while Walker Kessler added 16 points and 15 rebounds. The Lakers had come into the matchup seeking to recover from a 17-point defeat to Golden State, in which they had let a 25-point advantage slip away.
Doncic also reached a rare statistical benchmark. He posted at least 40 points, 10 rebounds, and five steals for the second time as a Laker. No other Los Angeles player had achieved all three figures in a single game since the 1982-83 season.
Raptors make late run but come up short in Los Angeles
Toronto’s bench mounted a late surge after the Lakers removed their starters with 1:43 remaining. The Raptors scored 11 points in merely 40 seconds, shrinking a 16-point deficit to 125-120 and forcing Doncic, Reaves, and Kessler back onto the floor for the final possessions.
Scottie Barnes paced Toronto with 29 points, while RJ Barrett chipped in 22. The loss was the Raptors’ third in four games as they opened a four-game road swing.
Kawhi Leonard sat out his fourth straight game due to a knee injury. He was also expected to stay unavailable for Toronto’s next matchup against the Clippers at Intuit Dome on Monday.