Luka Doncic 45 points was the headline at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night, and the details underneath were even more unusual. Doncic scored 45 points with 15 rebounds, six assists and five steals, and he drew three charges as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 131-125 in front of 19,057 fans. The Lakers are 5-2. Toronto fell to 3-3 and played again without Kawhi Leonard.
In the clip above, Doncic talks about the part of his game that usually draws criticism: his defense. “Obviously, I’m not the best defender in the NBA, but I think this year, I really took a step forward,” he said. “I know, and my team knows, that I’m better this year.”
The Luka Doncic stat line
Doncic played 35 minutes. He shot 12-for-23 from the field, 8-for-12 from three and 13-for-13 at the line. All 15 of his rebounds came on the defensive glass, a season high, and he finished plus-27. The one blemish was seven turnovers.
The Associated Press noted that this was his fourth straight game with at least 37 points. It was also his 20th 40-point game in 98 regular-season games as a Laker. The AP added that it was the second time Doncic has had 40 points, 10 rebounds and five steals for the Lakers, and that no other Laker has done that since the 1982-83 season. ESPN has him leading the NBA at 37.7 points per game, with three 40-point games in his last four.
Five steals and three charges
The defensive numbers are what made this game different. Doncic stepped in front of RJ Barrett twice and Scottie Barnes once to draw charges. ESPN Research says he is the first player with five steals and three charges drawn in a game since charge tracking began in the 2013-14 season.
His teammates noticed. “Five steals and three charges … incredible,” center Walker Kessler said. “Luka doesn’t get enough credit for his defense.” When the praise reached Doncic, his answer was one word: “Finally.”
Coach JJ Redick described taking charges as a leadership act. “I think taking a charge in general is just a form of leadership, right? You’re putting your body on the line for the team,” Redick said. “He’s competitive on the defensive end, too.” Asked about the scoring run, Redick said: “It feels pretty normal. I mean, we got to witness it for a month last year, and it was like a supernova. It was loud. It feels loud right now.”
How the Lakers built a 26-point lead
Los Angeles won the first quarter 36-23 and scored 38 more in the third. The Lakers led 102-76 with 90 seconds left in the third quarter, which was their largest lead of the night. They shot 43-for-80 (54%) from the field, 18-for-37 from three and 27-for-32 at the line.
Kessler had his best all-around game as a Laker. He went 6-for-6 for 16 points and added 15 rebounds and three blocks. Austin Reaves scored 19 on 6-for-16 shooting. Collin Sexton had 14 off the bench and Sandro Mamukelashvili added 11. Jake LaRavia scored eight, Quentin Grimes seven, Matisse Thybulle six (with two steals and two blocks) and Jarred Vanderbilt four.
A messy finish
The game was not as comfortable as the third-quarter score suggested. Toronto won the fourth quarter 43-27. Redick went to his bench with 1:43 left, and rookie Cameron Carr made his NBA debut in those final minutes. The AP said Carr had missed six games with an oblique injury. Bronny James and Jaden Hardy also got garbage-time minutes. Toronto’s reserves then scored 11 points in about 40 seconds to make it 125-120, and the starters had to come back in to close it. Kevon Looney did not play (coach’s decision).
Ball security is still a problem. The Lakers had 22 turnovers, and the team total was 24. Redick pointed to the officiating as part of the reason: “We scored 131 with 24 turnovers… Some of those turnovers are because we’re like legitimately getting fouled,” he said, per Basketnews.
Toronto Raptors side
Barnes led Toronto with 29 points on 11-for-20 shooting, and he made 7 of 13 free throws. Barrett had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Jamison Battle came off the bench to score 20, making 4 of 10 threes. Immanuel Quickley scored 12 on 3-for-13 shooting with seven assists, and Ja’Kobe Walter added 11. Toronto grabbed 22 offensive rebounds and had 14 steals, but it shot 17-for-54 from three and committed 26 fouls.
Jakob Poeltl did not play because of a left shoulder injury, and ESPN lists him as day-to-day. Leonard missed his fourth straight game with a knee injury. Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic praised Doncic’s conditioning: “This year he came back in great shape… When he’s healthy and ready to go, he’s just unstoppable.”
By the numbers
- Quarters: Lakers 36-30-38-27, Raptors 23-31-28-43.
- Free throws: Lakers 27-for-32, with Doncic 13-for-13.
- Kessler: 6-for-6 shooting, 15 rebounds and three blocks.
- Turnovers: 22 by the players and 24 for the team.
- Toronto’s glass: 22 offensive rebounds.
What’s next: Miami Heat on Monday
There is no rest. The Lakers host the Miami Heat on Monday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. PST, the second night of a back-to-back. The game is on Spectrum SportsNet. Miami is 2-4 but has won its last two games, 129-117 over Atlanta and 145-125 over Indiana. ESPN lists Tim Hardaway Jr. as day-to-day for personal reasons. For the Lakers, Ziaire Williams (foot) and Adou Thiero (knee) are listed as out.
After Miami, the Lakers play at Sacramento on Wednesday, host Portland on Friday and visit Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 8. They play Toronto again on Jan. 3 in Toronto.
Notes and conflicts
- Redick technical: One secondary outlet, citing another site, reported that Redick drew a technical for arguing a no-call late in the game. The box score shows one Lakers technical, but we could not confirm who it was assessed to, so treat that report as unconfirmed.
- “Never been seen” claims: Some outlets have called the full stat line unprecedented. The verified claims are the ones above: the AP’s Lakers note and ESPN Research’s steals-and-charges note, which only goes back to 2013-14.
- Carr’s injury: The AP describes it as an oblique injury that cost him six games. The Lakers have not given further detail.
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