Doncic eases suffering and pain with unexpected help

Luka Doncic relieve these constant pains Lakers, It is accompanied by pain that does not go away. Those dressed in purple and gold had a happy Sunday with a solid and calm victory over a surprising enemy. toronto raptors After a crushing loss to the Charlotte Hornets (117-135) and a blowout loss to Thiago Splitter’s Blazers (132-116) (110-93), Luka’s absence took its toll. But the former real madridDespite having persistent discomfort in his groin (which is questionable), he contributed 25 points, 2 rebounds, and 7 assists while going 8-of-23 from the field, with some valuable help from his players. lebron james – 24 points and seven passes to the basket – and another one that was somewhat unexpected. Deandre Ayton.

A giant with feet of clay, clumsy on defense and inconsistent on offense, the No. 1 draft pick in 2018 literally defined perfection, dominating the East’s fourth-ranked team not only offensively but also defensively, bolting into the Lakers’ paint and totaling 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 10-of-10 from the field. The Bahamian covered himself in the same paint he used to resist Doncic, who lacked sparkle in his shot. 3/11 He was successful on two shots, but was 5-of-12 on triples from the perimeter.

The Los Angeles team overcame a strong first quarter (23-30) against Toronto to lead 55-54 at halftime, and increased the lead in the third quarter to 91-80 at the start of the final quarter.

It must be said that Ayton had little opposition. While Doncic’s ability may be waning and the Lakers are still missing fundamentals with the loss of Austin Reeves, the Raptors arrived even more bruised, missing RJ Barrett, Ja Kobe Walter and their starting center, who was naked during games in panties in the paint. Jacob Poeltl Canadian team lost Colin Murray Boyles His 2.01 gave him a 4, which is better than a starter. rookie As “5” in the small lineup.

Sandro MamukelashviliBarça, a coveted target in the summer of 2024 before the Spurs burst in, tried to fill the hole in the paint with 20 points, but it looked like it wasn’t enough, as did Scottie Barnes’ 22 points and Brandon Ingram’s 19 points.

The Lakers suffered from a lack of muscle and size on the team. Darko Radjaković LeBron James finds Ayton in a mismatch and devours him. Immanuel Quickley With his physical superiority when he didn’t punish him with the changes by making the point guard pay for the space he gave to move through screens. LeBron, 41, ate again. back to back And this time, to break through countless barriers in his career, 51,000 points Already between the regular season and the playoffs.

king Although he no longer has the ability to dominate in the playoffs, he continues to teach lessons in efficiency, going 9-for-17 on shots and 2-for-4 on triples, and how to make the most of mismatches. With the Raptors having to rely on help due to size issues and also being a team that congregates players in the paint, the Lakers found open shots and enjoyed a good three-point shooting session, going 14-of-36 (39%) from the perimeter.

Rui Hachimura contributed 10 points off the bench; Drew Timm After scoring 21 points against Portland, he had three points, three rebounds and two assists, but more than anything his impact is reflected in his +17 plus/minus. The 25-year-old power forward has a dual contract with the Lakers.

but, JJ Reddick He also contributed to the reaction of the players in purple and gold, which ultimately resulted in a comfortable victory. In a decision that changed the course of the game, the second-year coach ordered: area In the second quarter.

The Lakers did it by crowding the area near the rim, with too much traffic for Barnes and Ingram to manipulate their midrange game and penetration, but the purple and gold uniforms sealed off the baseline to neutralize the cuts favored by the Raptors. Ayton put on a clinic in that area, leaving the paint in the second half as an anchor between the first and second lines and blocking pick-and-roll exits with his presence.

At the end of the night, there was finally a sense of calm for some Lakers who still couldn’t rest on their laurels. 1/6 The West went 25-16 after squandering the margin in its first negative trend since December. The win over the bruised Raptors is just a respite for him. Luka Doncic.