Why Raptors lost vs. LeBron James, Luka Doncic's Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers gave the Toronto Raptors a loss to start their west coast road trip.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic moves the ball against Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors struggled offensively in their 110-93 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers to start their five-game road trip.

Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic spoke about the game and why the Raptors were unable to finish things off when they had a lead in the second half.

“The game was mainly in the half-court because they were able to score, and so their defence was going to be set,” Rajakovic said via Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange. “And a lot of possessions they were in a zone, so it’s really hard to play with a fast break and with a lot of pace (against that). … It was really hard for us to get in transition as much as we want.” 

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram moves the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Raptors can't find shot in loss vs. Lakers

The Raptors have been on a bit of a cold streak when it comes to shooting, especially from beyond the three-point line. The team made just 7 of 32 shots from downtown, and that was a big part of why the offence struggled to produce points.

The defence did a decent job keeping the Lakers in check, but it's hard to win games in the NBA this season when the team only scores 93 points.

“We just have to keep trusting the shot,” Raptors centre Sandro Mamukelashvili said via Grange.

“I think, today, we were passing out of some shots because we wanted to get a better shot, and I think that’s what a zone does. They don’t really close out, so you think they’re rotating and now you got a guy open and you pass it. You got to attack it and collapse the paint or trust your shot and then go crash the boards."

The Raptors also had no answer for former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, who went 10 of 10 from the field for 25 points. He also grabbed 13 rebounds for a double-double.

“They’re just tough. They’re big point guards, so every time they would drive and somebody would step out, they would just throw it to Ayton and then he would get a bucket," Mamukelashvili said via Grange.

The Raptors will look to shake this bad feeling off as they face off against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in their next game. Tip-off is scheduled for tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET inside the Chase Center in San Francisco. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.