The Los Angeles Lakers held off a late Toronto Raptors rally to win 131-125 at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night, improving to 5-2 on the season behind a dominant 45-point performance from Luka Dončić.
The win came less than 48 hours after the Lakers blew a 25-point lead in a 17-point loss to the Golden State Warriors, raising questions about how the retooled roster would handle adversity on its return to Southern California.
Dončić answered those questions early, scoring 16 points in the first quarter while also contributing four steals and drawing two charges before halftime. He finished the night shooting 12-for-23 from the field, including 8 of 12 from three-point range, and added 15 rebounds, six assists and five steals in 35 minutes.
It marked the second time as a Laker that Dončić has posted at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five steals in a single game — a statistical combination no other player in franchise history has reached. The league’s leading scorer has now topped 37 points in four consecutive games.
Austin Reaves added 19 points and four assists, while Collin Sexton contributed 14 points off the bench. Center Walker Kessler recorded a double-double with 16 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Los Angeles built a commanding lead early, going up by as many as 26 points in the third quarter. Toronto cut the margin to nine midway through the fourth before the Lakers steadied themselves and pushed the lead back out.
With what appeared to be a comfortable 14-point cushion, coach JJ Redick cleared his bench — only to watch the Raptors reel off an 11-2 run that narrowed the gap to 125-120. Redick responded by sending Dončić, Reaves, Kessler and Matisse Thybulle back onto the floor with 44 seconds remaining, and the starters closed out the win.
