LeBron James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead the Lakers to a 128-123 victory against the Raptors on Friday.
“Yeah, we’re the loser of our last 11 road games and playing one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winners of five in a row,” James said. “To be able to come into a very hostile environment and win a basketball game in the way we won it was big for our team. A great win; on to the next one.” “We’ve had a tough season and there have been plenty of opportunities to quit and to let go of the rope and give in. But we really competed the last couple of games and didn’t get ‘Ws,’ and came out tonight and just did it for 48 minutes.” “Our guys stayed in the fight,” coach Frank Vogel said.
After the game, LeBron James tweeted a photo of a shocked Drake behind a jubilant Westbrook.
Westbrook finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while going 8-for-18 from the field and 4-for-7 from 3-point range. The moment was all the more exciting because it came directly in front of superstar rapper Drake, a Toronto native in attendance for Friday night's game. With 12.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter and Toronto leading 116-113, Westbrook missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer badly, putting the Raptors in the position where all they needed to do was hold onto the ball and make their free throws to secure the victory.
Russell Westbrook came up with a steal and a clutch 3-pointer to send Friday's game against Toronto into overtime. "Big-time IQ there on his part and a ...
"Throughout this whole process, throughout the year, ups and downs, the good and the bad, I lean so much on my faith," Westbrook said. When asked how he has been able to block out the attention and criticism that some of his missed shots have garnered this season to hit a big one like he did in Toronto, Westbrook pointed to his career scoring resume. And Westbrook helped make that happen with his 10th triple-double of the season with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. If James rests, he could pass Malone in his return to Cleveland on Monday. "And saw him step on the 3-point line and then slide his foot back before he released it. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Lakers, who had dropped 12 of their previous 15 games.
An injured Anthony Davis took the court in Toronto to gets some shots up.
Davis initially injured his foot on February 16th against the Utah Jazz. The Lakers have stumbled to a 2-9 record since Davis' injury. "I'm trying to get back on the court as soon as possible. Anthony Davis is still sidelined with a mid-foot sprain, but is doing all he can to get back on the court.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports discusses how playing in a major media market has negatively affected Russell Westbrook's confidence.
Well, those five turnovers are highly scrutinized and they're highly visible playing for the Lakers on top of you're not playing up to par." The confidence that Westbrook exhibited for seasons has suddenly evaporated under the hots lights. It is however the reason that's talked about the most by the LA media and voracious Lakers fans.
There is a bit of news regarding Anthony Davis' recuperation from the sprained foot he suffered last month.
He may not single-handedly make them a good team once he returns, if he does indeed return before the end of the regular season, but he would give the Lakers a much-needed shot in the arm. There hasn’t been any news regarding a timetable for his potential return to game action, but it is certainly a step forward for one of the NBA’s unique and valuable players. It has been four weeks since Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis suffered a sprained foot, and there is a bit of good news on that front.
Lakers star shuts up haters with epic answer; coach held back in fiery explosion — NBA Wrap.
James Harden added 24 points with 12 assists while Tobias Harris scored 14. How do you not let that stuff affect your confidence?” the reporter asked. In Brooklyn, the Nets bounced back from the buzzer-beating defeat to Dallas with a 128-123 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. With the Pelicans surging to a big lead in the second quarter, Popovich had lost patience and blasted the referees before he was given two technical fouls and ejected. the shots that are kind of high off the backboard. Westbrook, who has faced abuse from Lakers fans this season after struggling to settle in Los Angeles, was pivotal in taking the game to overtime as the Raptors closed in on victory.
The Lakers are on Canadian soil to take on the Toronto Raptors. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. Pacific on Spectrum SportsNet.
Monday night, Siakam finished the night 9-of-17 from the floor which included 7-of-11 from the interior. The 21-year-old has now recorded five 20-point games this season and it marked his first 20-point game since Jan. 19 vs Indiana, where he finished with 20 points in 25 minutes. Siakam has been consistent from all areas of the floor. LeBron James led all scorers with 30 points on 11-of-19 from the field and added nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. “When you don’t make it - it’s kind of frustrating. He leads the Raptors in scoring (22.0 PPG) and rebounds (8.4 RPG), second on the team in assists (5.1 APG), has the second-highest field percentage (48.6), and the fifth-best three-point percentage (35.8). League wide, he is second in minutes per game (37.6), sixth in points off turnovers (4.1), and 10th in points in the paint (12.3). “It’s a unique defensive style that you’re going against,” Vogel said. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. PT on Spectrum SportsNet. Gary Trent Jr. led all Raptors in scoring with 28 points, Pascal Siakam (27 points, 11 rebounds) and Precious Achiuwa (10 points, 11 rebounds) each recorded a double-double, and six of the 10 Raptors to play finished with double-digit points. The Lakers and Raptors met in Los Angeles Monday night resulting in a 114-103 win for Toronto. L.A was in the second half of a back-to-back and it showed right out of the gate. The Lakers (29-40) will look to break a road skid of 11-straight losses when they meet the Toronto Raptors (39-30) for the second time in three games.
LeBron James' status for today's game in Toronto is up in the air.
In addition to LeBron, guard Talen Horton-Tucker is also questionable to suit up tonight. The Lakers may have to kick off their three-game road trip with LeBron James on the sidelines. LeBron's designation stems from the left knee soreness that's been an on again, off again issue for the Lakers superstar this season.
Another day means another chance to reflect on the record books for LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers great spoke with Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet ...
Los Angeles seemed well on its way to another loss, but Russell Westbrook's steal and game-tying three in the final seconds of regulation forced overtime. It is a testament to how poor the bottom of the Western Conference is that they are still comfortably in the play-in tournament at the No. 9 seed and 3.5 games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs. While it has been a frustrating season for the nine-time All-Star, he was excellent against the Raptors and ended up with a triple-double of 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 4-of-7 from deep.