The Los Angeles Lakers began the night finally healthy, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis back from injuries but the return of the superstar duo could not stop another disappointing night for the NBA champions.
Trailing by as many as 21 points, the Lakers lost to the Toronto Raptors 121-114 in LA on Sunday evening.
Pascal Siakam carried the scoring load for Toronto, finishing with 39 points and 13 rebounds. Kyle Lowry tallied a season-high 37 points and added 11 assists for the Raptors. DeAndre' Bembry chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds for Toronto.
The Lakers have lost six of their last seven games and are 0-2 since James returned to the starting lineup after a right, high-ankle sprain. James finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists but played 27 minutes and departed with 6:42 left due to soreness in the ankle.
Point guard Dennis Schröder did not play for the Lakers due to the NBA's health and safety protocols. The Lakers are 0-5 this season with Schröder out of the lineup.
Even more embarrassing for the Lakers is Toronto played short-handed in the second night of a back-to-back after going toe-to-toe with the Utah Jazz in a tough road loss.
OG Anunoby (left calf strain), Chris Boucher (left knee sprain), Gary Trent Jr. (left leg contusion), Fred VanVleet (left hip flexor) and Paul Watson (left knee tendonitis) all sat out for the Raptors.
Kyle Kuzma came off the bench to provide some offensive firepower for Los Angeles, finishing with a team-high 24 points.
Andre Drummond totalled 19 points and 11 rebounds. Anthony Davis finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
With the Lakers' loss to Toronto, the Dallas Mavericks (36-28) losing at home to the Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trail Blazers (36-28) defeating the Boston Celtics on the road, the Lakers (36-28), Mavericks and Trail Blazers are all tied for the No 5 seed in the Western Conference.
The Lakers host the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
With the win, Toronto (27-38) are two-and-a-half games behind the Washington Wizards for the No 10 spot in the Eastern Conference and a chance to get into the play-in game for the postseason tournament.
The Lakers led 38-32 after the first quarter, but the undermanned Raptors rallied in the second quarter, outscoring Los Angeles 23-6 over the final six minutes of the second quarter to take a 13-point lead at halftime.
Toronto's 72 points are the second-most the Lakers have given up all season in a half. Los Angeles had led by as many as 12 points in the first half.
The Raptors continued to pour it on, extending their lead to 21 points early in the third quarter. The Lakers cut Toronto's lead to six points late in the fourth quarter, but would get no closer.
WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
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Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
