The LA Lakers' thrilling victory over the Toronto Raptors with a score of 132-131 will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable games in recent basketball history. This nail-biting encounter showcased the true essence of the sport, leaving fans on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer.
From tip-off, both teams displayed exceptional skill and determination. The Lakers' star duo, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, showcased their unparalleled talent throughout the game. Their ability to dominate both ends of the court was evident as they led their team to an early lead.
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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