Kyle Lowry scores 25 points and Raptors end 3-game skid with 102-91 win over Lakers

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Kyle Lowry had 25 points, DeMar DeRozan scored seven of his 18 in the final 3:34, and the Toronto Raptors snapped a three-game skid with a 102-91 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Five players scored in double digits for the defending Atlantic Division champions, off to an 8-6 start that began with five straight wins. They converted 15 Lakers turnovers into 21 points.

Raptors starting centre Jonas Valanciunas broke a bone in his left (non-shooting) hand when Kobe Bryant fouled him under the Toronto basket in the final minute of the first half. Valanciunas had three points in 18 minutes.

Terrence Ross, who signed a three-year, $33 million contract extension with the Raptors on Nov. 2, had eight points in 14 minutes after missing six games because of a sprained ligament in his left thumb.

Bryant finished with 10 points in 38 minutes on 5-for-13 shooting after being rested Monday night in Phoenix during the Lakers’ 120-101 loss. In his two previous games, he played 32 1/2 minutes at Dallas last Friday and almost 36 minutes two nights later against Detroit in a 97-85 victory.

Toronto opened a 91-75 lead with a 12-2 run after the Lakers got within six on a 3-pointer by ex-Raptor Lou Williams with 11:10 left. DeMarre Carroll’s 3-pointer capped the rally with 7:58 to play, giving Toronto its biggest lead.

The Lakers responded with a 12-2 spurt capped by a 3 from Metta World Peace that narrowed the gap to 93-87 with 3:49 remaining. Toronto restored its double-digit lead before Bryant’s 3-pointer brought the Lakers to 97-91 with 1:48 to go.

Lowry led all scorers in the first half with 19 points, making five of six shots from behind the 3-point line. But the Raptors trailed 50-49 at the break after the Lakers ended the second quarter with a 17-8 run that included six points by Julius Randle.

TIP-INS

Raptors: The previous time the teams met, the Raptors clinched their second straight division title and third in franchise history with a 94-83 victory at home. . G Norman Powell, who played four seasons at UCLA, spent the entire game on the bench in his first visit to Staples Center as a pro. On Thursday night, his former Bruins teammates named him honorary captain before beating Pepperdine 81-67 at Pauley Pavilion. . This is the first time the Raptors play the Lakers and Clippers on the same road trip since entering the NBA in 1995-96.

Lakers: Bryant, whose 81-point outburst against Toronto at Staples Center in January 2006 remains the second-highest scoring game in league history, had a triple-double the last time the Lakers hosted the Raptors on Nov. 30, 2014. . Williams faced his former team for the first time since signing a three-year, $33 million contract with Los Angeles on July 9. He finished with six points in 16 minutes. Williams was the league’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2014-15, but was not offered a contract by the Raptors after the season.

UP NEXT

Raptors: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Lakers: Home against Portland on Sunday night.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.