Twenty games into the season, Kobe Bryant finally hit 50 percent from the field, but even his slick shooting couldn’t stop Toronto from a 102-93 victory and its first season series win over the Lakers in franchise history.
Bryant dropped 21 points (8-of-16), including 15 in the second half. He also did plenty of damage with the rest of his game early on, finishing with eight rebounds and four assists.
When told after the game, he responded with a grin, laugh and “Finally.”
“Tonight I was able to trust my legs a little bit more and get to the mid-range,” said Bryant, who had been shooting 29.6 percent this year. “Get more to the pull-ups and those elbow sweet spots.”
But Toronto — led by Kyle Lowry’s 27 points and Terrence Ross’ season-high 21 — used a big fourth quarter to pull past L.A. (3-18).
The Lakers used a 13-2 third-quarter run to tie the game at 71 heading into the final period. But the Raptors (13-9) scored 11 straight points midway through the frame to bury the purple and gold.
During the fourth, Toronto shot 10-of-16 from the field, while L.A. went just 8-of-21.
The Lakers had just 14 assists to 15 turnovers, while Toronto had 18 dimes to only seven giveaways.
#Respect @Raptors #KB20 pic.twitter.com/Pq8RQE6KuO
Starters Shifted Before the game, head coach Byron Scott announced that Lou Williams and Larry Nance Jr. would enter the starting lineup, sending D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle to come off the bench.
“Needed a change,” Scott said. “The starting unit we had wasn’t working. It’s pretty simple.”
Williams scored 15 points in 31 minutes in his return to Toronto, where he won Sixth Man of the Year last season. Nance had six points, six rebounds and three blocks in 29 minutes.
Meanwhile, the two lottery picks played 21 minutes apiece, despite Randle’s stellar play. The 2014 seventh-overall selection finished with 15 points (6-of-13) and 11 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.
Russell struggled with his shot, going 4-of-12 for nine points.
Meantime, Robert Sacre (three points, 17 minutes) and Marcelo Huertas (two points, 12 minutes) entered the bench rotation in place of Brandon Bass and Nick Young.
A photo posted by Lakers Scene (@lakersscene) on Dec 7, 2015 at 6:42pm PST
Notes L.A.’s guards shot a combined 14-of-40 from the field. … Ross had 13 points in the first quarter and Lowry tally 16 in the next one. … The Lakers scored 22 second-chance points to Toronto’s seven. … A sellout crowd of 20,163 filled Air Canada Centre for Bryant’s last game in America’s northern neighbor.
Randle notched another double-double tonight, while Kobe went for 21 in a loss to Toronto.
