Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James Too Much for Raptors, Snapping Toronto's Winning Streak in Overtime Thriller
These are all learning experiences.
All the Toronto Raptors needed to do was hold onto the ball. An inbound pass and just one free throw would have sealed the deal for Toronto in a nailbiter against the Los Angeles Lakers. But a shaky pass from Scottie Barnes put Precious Achiuwa in a compromising position, allowing Russell Westbrook to eventually strip Barnes and nail the overtime-forcing three-pointer. Minutes later, the Lakers escaped with a 128-123 victory thanks to a game-winning three-pointer from Avery Bradley that snapped Toronto's five-game winning streak.
"Listen, he’s gotta go through it, he’s gotta go through it," said Fred VanVleet who was stripped in the final seconds of overtime to clinch it for the Lakers. "It sucks. It’s tough, you gotta be hard on yourself as he is. He’s a great young talent and he’s growing every day."
1. LeBron James Remains as Good as Ever
Don't let a lackluster Lakers season or the ugly loss to the Raptors earlier in the week fool you, LeBron James remains as good as ever.
The 37-year-old totally turned the tables on Toronto in the fourth quarter, getting to the rim like a "freight train," as Nurse put it pre-game. He repeatedly beat Toronto's double teams, cutting backdoor, and fooling Toronto's aggressive defense. In one three-minute span, he scored six straight Lakers buckets and erased a Barnes layup with an out-of-nowhere block on the Raptors rookie.
In the fourth quarter, he somehow banked in a three-pointer over Achiuwa's perfect defense, tied things up on the ensuing possession with a putback floater, and then nailed another miraculous three to keep the Lakers alive late with 19 of his game-high 36 points coming in the fourth quarter and overtime.
2. Scottie Shines Brightest on Biggest Stage
It's clear Barnes lives for these moments.
Much like his last outing against the Lakers, the 20-year-old put on a show. He started the night taking on the four-time MVP, face guarding him and quite literally waving his hand directly in James' face to throw off the living legend. But it was on the offensive end that Barnes really stood out, posting a career-high 31 points and 17 rebounds.
“He’s been doing a good job of being assertive and aggressive and making plays," Nurse said. "He did bring great energy. I thought he had a great game. He was on the glass tough. He played great.”
He opened the game with a corner three-pointer from Pascal Siakam. Came back down with a hook shot over Dwight Howard and then showed his power, bulldozing through Wenyen Gabriel for a bucket.
He then began the second half by breaking up a Lakers' handoff and outracing James for a transition dunk at the other end.
The highlight of his night came when he flushed a one-handed slam, blowing past a confused Lakers' defense to stake the Raptors to a 107-105 lead late in the fourth. He then followed it up with a powerful and-1, driving right through Bradley for the old fashion three-pointer.
None of it was all that surprising to James who recalled first seeing Barnes play back when the Raptors forward was in seventh grade.
"I knew he was going to be special," James said. "It may have been a surprise to some of you guys but it's no surprise to me."
3. Achiuwa's Improvements Continue
Achiuwa's ability to step up and guard the league's best is really quite remarkable. He didn't start against the Lakers this time, but he came off the bench and played some tough defense on James, getting right up in his face even as James somehow nailed fallaway jumpers over Achiuwa's outstretched arms.
He then showed off those improving offensive skills, nailing a pull-up jumper over a sagging Howard and swishing a trio of three-pointers, first in transition from Siakam, then a corner jumper from Fred VanVleet, then, when Toronto really needed it, he put the Raptors ahead with a trailing three, again from VanVleet.
It's been an incredible second half of the season for arguably Toronto's most improved player this year. He never quite lacked confidence, but it's clear he's found a groove. The offense is coming easier to him. He's playing within the flow of things, grabbing putback dunks, running in transition, and taking rhythm threes. When you couple that with high-end defense, that's about all the Raptors can ask for from the 22-year-old.
4. Raptors Feeling Ready for Anything
With less than a month to go in the season, the Raptors are ready for whatever comes next. The West Coast road trip showed they can compete with anyone in the league. The playoffs will be tough, that's for sure, and the Raptors will be the underdogs no matter who they face, but when that doesn't seem to faze them. They've defied all expectations this season and now it's about putting the final touches on a team that's going to be no fun to face comes the post-season.
“We ready for everything and right now I feel like we are," Nurse said pre-game. "I think we are ready for zones, we are ready for blitzes with the guards, we are ready for double teams, we are ready to change defenses and I think we are ready to handle game plans."
The loss to the Lakers, coupled with a Cleveland Cavaliers overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets does, however, move Toronto a full game back of the sixth seed in the East.
Up Next: Philadelphia 76ers
The Raptors will hit the road again for a quick trip to Philadelphia for an 8:30 p.m. ET date with Joel Embiid and the 76ers.
