The Raptors score a 123-111 win over L.A. at home
Guard pours in 25 as Toronto extends winning streak over visiting Lakers
Fred VanVleet’s career-high 25 points off the bench led the Toronto Raptors to a 123-111 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at Air Canada Centre.
VanVleet went 3 for 4 from beyond the arc and added four assists. DeMar DeRozan had 19 points and seven assists while Kyle Lowry finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Toronto coach Dwane Casey and his staff will coach Team LeBron in the 2018 All-Star Game thanks to the win. The victory moves Toronto a game back of the Boston Celtics for top spot in the Eastern Conference.
“It’s an honour, but mainly for the organization,” Casey said postgame. “That’s what it’s about. It’s for the organization.”
Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle each had 17 points to pace the Lakers. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 16 points.
With the win, the Raptors (3315) complete the season sweep after defeating the Lakers (19-30) 101-92 in their only other meeting on Oct. 27 at the Staples Center. Toronto has now won its past six meetings with Los Angeles dating back to 2015. The Lakers haven’t defeated the Raptors since Nov. 30, 2014.
The Lakers saw their four-game win streak snapped.
DeRozan poured in 12 thirdquarter points, pushing Toronto’s lead to 91-77.
Los Angeles cut Toronto’s lead to five by hitting three consecutive 3-pointers early in the third, but the Raptors used a 7-0 run to push the lead to 74-62 midway through the period.
The Lakers continued to struggle shooting, going just 7-of-19 from the field in the quarter.
VanVleet paced Toronto with 12 second-quarter points as the Raptors led 59-49 at the break.
Lowry finished with 10 points and seven rebounds in the half.
Tempers flared with 1:46 to play in the half after Jonas Valanciunas took a Randle elbow to the face. The two players had to be separated. The Raptors centre received a loose ball foul on the play while both were assessed technical fouls.
The Lakers, the NBA’s secondranked team in fast-break points, were held to just two in the first half and were shooting just 37 per cent from the field.
Serge Ibaka led the way with seven points and six rebounds as the Raptors jumped out to a 28-21 lead after one quarter.
Randle paced the Lakers with six points, five rebounds and three assists.
Toronto pulled away with a 10-2 run leading to the Lakers first timeout of the quarter with 7:19 to play.
Toronto concludes its threegame home stand on Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.