Los Angeles Lakers 131, Toronto Raptors 125: Doncic's 45 builds a lead Toronto can't erase

The Lakers won this game in the first three quarters and spent the fourth surviving it. Luka Doncic scored 45 points with 15 rebounds and six assists, hitting 8 of 12 from three. Los Angeles led by as many as 26 before the Raptors scored 43 in the final quarter and closed the gap to the final 131-125 margin.

The win at crypto.com Arena on Sunday, November 1, moved the Lakers to 5-2. Toronto fell to 3-3.

How it was won

The first quarter set the terms. The Lakers scored 36 to Toronto's 23, a 13-point edge that held at the half, 66-54. Toronto's largest lead of the night was five, and it came early.

The third quarter is where the Lakers pulled away. They outscored Toronto 38-28 and took a 104-82 lead into the fourth. The fourth went the other way, 43-27 for the Raptors, but a 22-point cushion left enough room.

The shooting split decided it. The Lakers made 43 of 80 from the field, 54 percent, and 18 of 37 from three. Toronto made 45 of 105, 43 percent, and 17 of 54 from three. The Raptors took 25 more shots and still scored six fewer points.

The free throw line added to the gap. Los Angeles went 27 of 32; Toronto went 18 of 25.

The Lakers were careless with the ball, committing 24 turnovers to Toronto's 15. That, plus a 47-45 rebounding edge for the Raptors, explains the extra Toronto attempts. Efficiency outweighed both.

Doncic's line carried the night. Austin Reaves added 19 points and four assists on 2-of-7 three-point shooting. Walker Kessler had 16 points and 15 rebounds, and the Lakers held a 48-46 edge in the paint.

For Toronto, Scottie Barnes scored 29 with six rebounds and five assists. RJ Barrett had 22 points and 10 rebounds, going 4 of 9 from three. Jamison Battle scored 20, making 4 of 10 threes. The Raptors totaled 35 assists to the Lakers' 26.

Against the number

The Lakers closed at -3.5 and won by six, so they covered. Most of that cover was built early. The fourth-quarter Toronto run cut a 22-point lead to six, but it stopped short of the number.

The total closed at 224.5. The teams scored 256, so the over cleared by 31.5 points. The combined 43 made threes and 45 made free throws did most of that work, and Toronto's 43-point fourth quarter left no doubt.

On the moneyline, the Lakers closed at -170 and Toronto at +142. Favorite backers collected.

The full closing board is on the game page.

What's next

The Lakers have kept winning since. They beat the Miami Heat 138-117 at home and won 116-103 at Sacramento, taking their record to 7-2. Their next game is Friday, November 6, at home against the Portland Trail Blazers, on Prime Video, Spectrum Sports Net and Spectrum Sports Net +. Portland is the only team to beat the Lakers at home so far, 136-129.

Toronto's next game was not included in the material available for this recap. The Raptors left Los Angeles at 3-3, with the late scoring run as the main positive from the night.