Field Level Media
Mar 14, 2019
Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds and added four assists as the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 111-98 Thursday night.
Norman Powell added 20 points and eight rebounds for the Raptors, who have won their past nine games against the Lakers dating to 2015.
Pascal Siakam scored 16 points and Marc Gasol contributed 15 points for Toronto.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 29 points. Alex Caruso added 16 points, Rajon Rondo had 13 points and eight assists, and JaVale McGee contributed nine points and nine rebounds.
The Raptors took a six-point lead into the fourth quarter after leading by as many as 13 in the third. Toronto scored the first five points of the fourth quarter.
The lead reached 13 when Malcolm Miller hit his second 3-pointer of the period with 7:35 remaining. The lead reached 15 on Powell's two free throws six seconds later.
The closest the Lakers could get thereafter was nine.
The Raptors led 33-25 after the first quarter.
Toronto was on top by 10 early in the second quarter before Los Angeles used a 12-2 run to tie the score with 6:42 left in the first half.
Toronto regained the lead and was ahead by five after Jeremy Lin's 3-pointer. However, the Lakers came back to take a two-point lead with 4:34 left on Caruso's 3-pointer.
The Raptors finished the first half on a 14-2 run capped by Leonard's steal and 3-pointer at the buzzer that produced a 65-54 halftime lead.
The Lakers had 12 first-half turnovers leading to 14 Raptors points.
The Raptors had a 12-point lead three minutes into third quarter before McGee's dunk in the middle of the period had the Lakers within five. Leonard struck again with a 3-pointer, and the Raptors led by 11.
Patrick McCaw made two free throws with 2:09 left to boost the lead to 13. The Lakers, though, finished the quarter on a 7-0 surge, and Toronto led 90-84 after the third.
--Field Level Media