Los Angeles @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 27, 2017 ) Toronto 101, L.A. Lakers 92

The Toronto Raptors' home dominance has seemingly vanished this month and they will now host one of the hotter teams in the NBA in the rising Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. After opening 14-1 at Air Canada Centre, the Raptors are 3-3 over their last six games there and they opened a three-game homestand Friday night with a 97-93 loss to a Utah team that was putting together consecutive wins for the first time in nearly two months.

"We couldn't make a shot all night," All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan told reporters before referencing the one exception, center Jonas Valanciunas (28 points on 12-of-16 shooting). "We've got to help the big fellow out." While the Jazz were able to create a rare winning streak with the win at Toronto, the Lakers will be trying to extend their second four-game run this month alone. They opened a five-game road trip with a 108-103 win at Chicago to continue a solid defensive stretch for a team that earlier struggled to stop opponents on that end of the floor. "You kind of either fold or you figure it out," coach Luke Walton said of his squad, which is allowing an average of 100.8 points - nearly nine below its season average - during the winning streak. "Our guys have seemed to figure it out, for now at least."

TV: 6 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), TSN 4/5 (Toronto)

ABOUT THE LAKERS (19-29): While leading scorer Kyle Kuzma was limited to nine points on 4-of-12 shooting against the Bulls, Brandon Ingram broke out of a slump to score 25 points on 10-of-18. "Coach told us the start of our road trip has to be really good for us to continue the success," Ingram told reporters. "We knew we had to come in here and take care of business and not just think of the games we won at home." The 20-year-old averaged 8.3 points on 25.8 percent shooting over his previous three games while wrestling with an ankle sprain.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (32-15): Kyle Lowry was selected to his fourth All-Star team this week but marked the honor with a wildly inconsistent stretch, first posting a season-high 40 points in a loss at Minnesota before scoring a total of 14 on 5-of-24 shooting in the last two contests. DeRozan hasn't been much better while averaging 16.5 points - more than eight below his mark for the season - on 32.4 percent from the field in those two games. The Los Angeles native had 24 points in a 101-92 victory at the Lakers earlier this season, which gave Toronto six consecutive wins in the series.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Lakers PG Lonzo Ball (knee) missed six straight games and is unlikely to return for this one.

2. Valanciunas has a double-double in four of his last five games and in three straight outings at home.

3. Toronto head coach Dwane Casey needs one win in the next five games to earn a spot coaching one of the All-Star teams.

PREDICTION: Raptors 106, Lakers 99