Anthony Davis scored 20 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers past Toronto Raptors 132-131 on Tuesday night and secure back-to-back wins for the first time in over one month.
RJ Barrett was called for an offensive foul which disallowed Scottie Barnes from shooting an equalizing 3-pointer with 24.8 seconds remaining, giving Davis and Austin Reaves enough time to hit 10 free throws, helping Los Angeles hold on.
Anthony Davis scored 20 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to a win over the Toronto Raptors
The Los Angeles Lakers (20-19) snapped their three-game losing streak with an emphatic victory against the Clippers (20-19). Anthony Davis led with 41 points, 11 rebounds and six assists while LeBron James contributed 22 points for Los Angeles.
An exciting fourth quarter was marked by no less than 23 lead changes before Los Angeles eventually secured victory thanks to Davis’ dominating performance – scoring 20 points during that final frame and shooting 11-of-11 from free throw line.
On the Western Conference front, Minnesota Timberwolves defeated Orlando by 34 points as Karl-Anthony Towns scored 28 points while notching 21 rebounds and 12 assists for an incredible double-double performance with 21 rebounds and 12 assists – French international Rudy Gobert also impressed as they ran through Orlando Magic with ease. Meanwhile Memphis Grizzlies bounced back after news that star forward Ja Morant will miss most of this season with an emphatic 120-103 win over Dallas Mavericks, led by Desmond Bane who scored 32 points while Marcus Smart added 23 as they moved past 10-5 since trading away OG Anunoby last month.
LeBron James scored 22 points and 12 assists
After missing all five first-half field goal attempts, the Lakers found their groove and were able to come back into the game. LeBron James helped guide them towards another win with an outstanding third quarter performance.
Scottie Barnes started off the second quarter for Toronto with six points to help build up a 17-point advantage for them. But Davis started chipping away at that lead.
LeBron James hit a 3-pointer to bring his team within four points, before later making two free throws to bring them within one point of victory.
In the fourth quarter, the Lakers continued to chip away at Toronto’s lead and eventually took a two-point advantage with just over two minutes remaining in the game. Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic responded with an angry table-pounding tirade against officiating that may end up costing him a fine.
Cam Reddish had 13 points and 10 rebounds
Cam Reddish made an immediate impactful comeback from a sore groin with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while providing key contributions late in the fourth quarter.
RJ Barrett was called for an offensive foul, negating Barnes’ potential game-tying three pointer with 24.8 seconds remaining. Davis and Austin Reaves combined to hit 10 straight free throws as the Lakers held on despite three pointers from Dennis Schroder and Gary Trent Jr. from Toronto during the final 34 seconds.
LeBron James scored 22 points and added 12 assists, Christian Wood and D’Angelo Russell combined for 25 off the bench, and Raptors starters OG Anunoby and RJ Barrett each had 23 points but couldn’t overcome Christian Wood and D’Angelo Russell’s stellar play from their bench. On Saturday at the ACC Tournament they will meet again; who ever wins will likely secure the No. 2 seed in Eastern Conference play-offs.
Austin Reaves had 10 straight free throws in the final 34 seconds
With D’Angelo Russell (head), Cam Reddish (knee), and Gabe Vincent (knee) all sidelined due to injury, Austin Reaves stepped up. The third-year guard hit at least three triples for five straight games while recording double-digit points, assists, and rebounds – his first start since Nov 8!
Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic unleashed one of the rage-filled outbursts seen recently in NBA history after his team was called for 23 free-throws in the fourth quarter during its 132-131 loss against Los Angeles on Tuesday night. Rajakovic apparently felt officials did not give his team an equal chance against Los Angeles.
Reaves is expected to replace Jarred Vanderbilt as the starting two-way contract player on Wednesday against Miami, due to his improved stats and ability to mesh well with LeBron James in their uptempo offense. Reaves should make an excellent addition for deeper league fantasy players going forward.
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