Luka Doncic scores 45 points as Lakers hold off Raptors

LOS ANGELES · Luka Doncic delivered 45 points, 15 rebounds and five steals to power the Los Angeles Lakers past the Toronto Raptors 131-125 on Sunday. The Slovenian guard connected on eight three-pointers and dished out six assists in a dominant showing. Austin Reaves contributed 19 points while Walker Kessler posted 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who bounced back from a Friday defeat where they squandered a 25-point lead in Golden State. Scottie Barnes led Toronto with 29 points and RJ Barrett scored 22 as the Raptors began a four-game trip with their third loss in four outings.

Doncic built an early cushion for Los Angeles by scoring 16 points in the first quarter, including four shots from beyond the arc. He had 24 points and eight rebounds by halftime and reached at least 37 points for the fourth straight game, extending his lead in the NBA scoring race. The Lakers pushed their advantage to 102-76 late in the third period before Toronto rallied to cut the margin to single digits. Doncic and Reaves answered with a 9-1 run to steady the Lakers.

The Raptors mounted a late charge after the Lakers pulled their starters with 1:43 remaining, scoring 11 points in 40 seconds to slash a 16-point deficit to 125-120. The surge forced Doncic, Reaves and Kessler back onto the floor for the final possessions to close out the victory. Doncic scored 40 or more points for the 20th time in his 98 regular-season games with Los Angeles. He also recorded at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five steals for the second time as a Laker, a statistical line no other player on the franchise has matched since the 1982-83 season.

With files from The Globe and Mail and Sportsnet