The Lakers vs. Toronto game on March 14th, 2021, will forever be etched in the annals of basketball history as one of the most thrilling and intense matchups. With a final score of 132-131 in favor of the Lakers, this game showcased the true essence of competition and resilience.
From the very beginning, both teams displayed exceptional skill and determination. The Lakers' star duo, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, led their team with remarkable precision and finesse. Their ability to control the tempo of the game was evident throughout all four quarters.
Los Angeles Lakers are feeling better about the road ahead, with talk of a disconnect between players and head coach Darvin Ham suddenly quelled.
The Lakers will test that new-found unity in a home matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
In the midst of losing nine of 11 games, and falling to 3-10 since winning the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament in early December, a report surfaced last week that unnamed players had an issue with Ham's rotations as well as in-game strategy.
Davis grabbed 11 rebounds and went 13 for 17 while carrying the Lakers down the stretch against the Raptors, who were missing injured starting center Jakob Poeltl. Davis completed his masterful performance by scoring 10 points in the final 1:01, including eight free throws without a miss, and making a key block on Barnes.
The NBA introduced a flopping penalty before the start of the current season to try and deter players from embellishing contact from opponents and selling fouls to game officials.
Davis, though, was the only Lakers player with more than seven points at halftime and the Lakers trailed, 53-51.
From there, it was back and forth. No lead was safe.
Four starters scored at least 20 points for the new-look Raptors (15-22), including Barrett (23) and Quickley (21).
The Lakers appeared to get on track Sunday with a hard-fought victory over the Clippers, even holding their red-hot down-the-hall rival to a commendable 103 points.
Their defense wasn’t as impressive against Toronto, but it didn’t matter. The Lakers, after all, had Davis on their side.
Azubuike got a chance to play because of injuries on Dec. 22, and like Bol he took advantage of it. He spent the next handful of games as the first center off the bench, although Vogel was filling those minutes elsewhere with Azubuike only playing 20 total minutes in his last four games before Drew Eubanks took back the position on the depth chart.
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