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Kyle Lowry is the Hero against the Los Angeles Lakers

Kyle Lowry was the hero for the  Toronto Raptors. However, it was not just his efforts alone that won the game against the Los Angeles Lakers. It was Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and their amazing defense. Most importantly, it was how they started and finished the game that should make Raptors fans happy.

Kyle Lowry the Player of the Game against the Los Angeles Lakers

Three Keys to the Game

Positive Start to the Game

This point might be overlooked, but the Raptors started the game on a 13-0 run according to ca.global.nba.com. Yes, they gave up most of the lead in the first quarter, with the Raptors ending up with only a two-point lead at the end of the first quarter, but it played a factor in the Raptors winning.

Anunoby played a big role in that positive start scoring seven of the Raptors first 13 points. This was a critical factor in the Raptors win over the Lakers.

Tremendous Defense

This was the number one reason why the Raptors won against the Lakers. LeBron James only had 20 points and Anthony Davis was held to just 14 points. The Raptors were able to nullify the two best players on the Lakers, two players that could also be in the NBA Most Valuable Player conversation. Their defense is a big reason why they are contenders to repeat as NBA Champions in 2020.

Furthermore, with 6:38 left in the game, it was tied 83-83. The Raptors only allowed nine points in the rest of the quarter. The offense also picked up for the Raptors, who won 107-92 and were +13 in the fourth quarter.

The Raptors also won the rebounding battle against the Lakers. The Raptors had 51 rebounds while the Lakers only had 40. The Lakers won the offensive rebounding battle with eight to the Raptors seven rebounds. This means that the Raptors dominated the glass at the defensive end with 44 rebounds compared to the Lakers 32 rebounds. They took care of business and did not give many extra possessions to the Lakers.

Surprisingly, Kyle Lowry led the way with 14 rebounds. This was followed by Pascal Siakam with nine rebounds, Marc Gasol with seven rebounds, and VanVleet with five rebounds. Furthermore, Kyle Lowry leads the league with charges drawn with 31 charges.

Kyle Lowry, OG Anunoby, and Fred VanVleet Steps Up

Kyle Lowry was the player of the game. He had 33 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and one steal. This included shooting with a 55.6 three-point percentage. He also shot 12-15 from the free-throw line with a free throw percentage of 80 percent against the Lakers and had a 50 percent field goal percentage.

Anunoby had 23 points, four rebounds, one assist, and two steals. He made 8-9 shots with a field goal percentage of 88.9 percent. He also made all three of his three-point attempts against the Lakers.

Lastly, VanVleet played a big role in the Raptors win scoring 13 points. He also had 11 assists, five rebounds, one steal, and one block. Lastly, he had a 42.9 three-point percentage and a 45.5 field goal percentage against the Lakers.

Overview of the Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angeles Lakers Game

Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angeles Lakers Game Overview

The Raptors won this game because of their tremendous defense. They limited the Lakers to only 92 points in the game. This included limiting Lakers to only nine points in the last six minutes and 38 seconds of the fourth quarter when the game was tied at 83. The last time the Raptors lost to the Lakers in the NBA regular season was 2014 according to The Canadian Press.

If things align themselves, this could be an NBA Finals preview. This is what Kendrick Perkins said according to First Take.

“Okay I’m going to the Lakers versus to the Toronto Raptors,” said Perkins. “There’s no way give me a front row ticket to the greatest player of all time Lebron James a generation of talent and Anthony Davis and one of my favorite players Pascal Siakam. Listen we’re possibly looking at a finals matchup, I got both of these teams picked to come out of their conferences.”

There is no guarantee that this matchup will happen though. Most notably, the Milwaukee Bucks have the best record in the NBA. Other teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, and the Houston Rockets also feel they have a shot at winning the NBA Finals. However, it is a possibility. The Raptors have the third-best record in the NBA and the Lakers have the second-best record in the NBA.

The Next Few Games for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors

Most importantly for the Raptors is to get that second seed in the Eastern Conference wrapped up. They are four games ahead of the Celtics. Yes, there is no home-court advantage, but the quality of the NBA teams do drop off after the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.

If the Raptors get the second seed, it would probably mean an easier opponent to start the NBA playoffs. Lastly, the Raptors would win their third-straight Atlantic Division title if they have a better record than the Celtics at the end of the 2019-20 NBA season.

The Raptors will face the Miami Heat on Monday and then the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. This is while the Lakers will face the Utah Jazz on Monday and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.

 

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Raheem Bashir, Site Manager

Raheem Bashir, Site Manager

Raheem Bashir started blogging on a Gmail site called Blogger and has covered sporting events in rugby union/league and soccer. Since then he has become the Last Word on Sports writer for rugby, soccer, and previously basketball. He is also a member of the North American Soccer Reporters and The Rugby Union Writers’ Club. Raheem graduated from George Brown College with a Digital Media Marketing Post-Grad Certificate in 2019. From the same college, Raheem also did a post-grad certificate in Sport and Event Marketing in 2017. Lastly, he did an undergrad Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 2016.

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