Doncic scores 45 to lead Lakers past Raptors

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 131-125 at home. Once again, Luka Doncic was the star of the game. The Slovenian guard scored 45 points, grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds, and recorded 6 assists and 5 steals. Doncic also stood out by hitting eight three-pointers.

Doncic has now scored at least 37 points in four straight games. In 98 regular season games wearing the Lakers jersey, he has passed the 40-point mark 20 times.

For the Lakers, Austin Reaves scored 19 points. Walker Kessler had a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds. The Lakers bounced back after a 17-point loss to the Golden State Warriors.

For Toronto, Scottie Barnes scored 29 points and RJ Barrett added 22. With 90 seconds left in the third quarter, the Lakers extended their lead to 26 points, going up 102-76. The Raptors later cut the deficit to single digits. A 9-1 run led by Doncic and Reaves gave the Lakers some breathing room again. In the final stretch, Toronto's bench came in and scored 11 points in 40 seconds, trimming the lead to 125-120. Doncic, Reaves and Kessler then returned to the floor for the final possessions.

For the second time in a Lakers uniform, Doncic recorded at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and 5 steals in a single game. Since the 1982-83 season, no other Lakers player has reached those three totals in the same game.