During the Friday night NBA slate, the Los Angeles Lakers achieved a 122-112 win over the Toronto Raptors. D’Angelo Russell posted 28 points and nine assists and Dennis Schroder added 23 points and seven assists.
In spite of Anthony Davis‘ underwhelming night, the Lakers won for the seventh time in nine games as Austin Reaves scored 18 points and Rui Hachimura added 16. Despite struggling against Toronto’s defense, Davis managed eight points and nine rebounds before Russell and the Lakers’ reserves took control and sealed the win.
“That we were able to come away with this win against a really good team with only eight from (Davis), that’s a sign of growth,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “That’s a sign of how deep and talented we are.”
In his second stint in Los Angeles, Russell played only four games before straining his right ankle at the trade deadline. The Lakers’ home crowd roared repeatedly as he hit five 3-pointers while also making complex plays and celebrating a series of high-difficult plays.
“I know this from being here (before): The fans are ready to explode at a certain point in the game,” Russell said. “I just wanted to bring that energy and give them that.”
Russell explained: “It shouldn’t go unnoticed, because our fans are the first to put a battery in someone’s back that has a little momentum, so why not do the right things, bring that positivity and embrace what our fans have to offer?”
NBA SCORES & NEWS: D’Angelo Russell, Dennis Schroder, Los Angeles Lakers & Toronto Raptors Updates
With a win over Memphis three days ago, the Lakers climbed to ninth in the Western Conference, and they are excelling without LeBron James. In their sixth win since the All-Star break, Russell and Schroder led an outstanding Lakers effort. Additionally, Los Angeles made 19 of 19 free throws.
The Raptors, who won seven consecutive road games against the Lakers since 2014, were led by Scottie Barnes’ 20 points in the second half and OG Anunoby’s 31 points.
Although long stretches of strong play were evident throughout the trip, Toronto went 1-4 on a five-game road swing.
“Sometimes you can play bad basketball and win every game,” Anunoby said. “You just try to take the positives from the losses, carry them over and win the next game.”
NBA SCORES & NEWS: D’Angelo Russell, Dennis Schroder, Los Angeles Lakers & Toronto Raptors Updates
In a game that featured several wild momentum swings, Russell scored 12 points and dished out seven assists in the first half. With a 26-8 run midway through the fourth quarter, the Lakers established a nine-point lead.
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