Toronto's Comeback Came One Quarter Too Late
The Toronto Raptors threw everything they had at the Los Angeles Lakers in the fourth quarter on Sunday night — pouring in 43 points — and still walked away with a loss.
The Lakers beat Toronto 131-125 at Crypto.com Arena, riding a monster night from Luka Doncic.
Doncic finished with 45 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals in just over 35 minutes, shooting 12-for-23 from the field, 8-for-12 from three, and a perfect 13-for-13 from the free-throw line.
How the Game Got Away
Los Angeles set the tone early, outscoring Toronto 36-23 in the first quarter and 38-28 in the third. Toronto won the second quarter 31-30 and then exploded for 43 in the fourth, but the hole was too deep.
Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 29 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. RJ Barrett added 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Jamison Battle scored 20 off the bench. Immanuel Quickley had 12 and Ja'Kobe Walter 11.
For the Lakers, Austin Reaves scored 19, Walker Kessler posted 16 points and 15 rebounds, Collin Sexton added 14, and Sandro Mamukelashvili 11.
Toronto falls to 3-3 on the season; the Lakers improve to 5-2. The Raptors' road trip continues Monday at the LA Clippers.
The Twikup Take
A 43-point fourth quarter on the road is a statement about fight — but Toronto's first and third quarters wrote the loss. Barnes, Barrett and Battle gave the Raptors 71 combined points; Doncic's near-perfect shooting night was simply too much to chase down.
Image: Luka Doncic Lakers Deandre Hunter Donovan Mitchell Cavaliers Jan 2026 by Erik Drost, CC BY 4.0.