The real DeAndre Ayton shows up as Lakers snap skid with dominant win

On Sunday night, the Lakers halted a two-game losing streak and five losses in their last six by overwhelming the Toronto Raptors, a team short on offensive ideas and unable to capitalize on Los Angeles’ recent defensive lapses. Luka Doncic and DeAndre Ayton, both absent the night before in the blowout loss at Portland, were back in the lineup and played pivotal roles in a much-needed victory.

The Ayton everyone expected

This was the version of Ayton the Lakers had been waiting for. The Bahamian center posted a 25-point, 13-rebound double-double, going a perfect 10-for-10 from the field. The only blemish came at the free throw line, where he went 5-for-6, all in 33 minutes of action.

That performance placed Ayton in rare Lakers company. He became just the fourth player in franchise history to record at least 20 points and 10 rebounds without missing a shot, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Mitch Kupchak and Shaquille O’Neal. He also became the first Laker since turnovers began being officially tracked in the 1977-78 season to score 25 points on 100 percent shooting without committing a single turnover. Those are numbers that resonate in Los Angeles.

Ayton has always lived off pristine box scores like this, though they had been absent for much of the past two months. Acquired from Portland at a bargain after the Trail Blazers moved on, his career narrative has followed a familiar pattern. Drafted ahead of Doncic eight years ago, now his teammate, Ayton has long carried the label of strong statistics paired with inconsistent defensive impact and visible frustration when things do not go his way. Earlier this season, he even voiced displeasure about not getting enough touches.

Lakers trio finally clicks

On this night, balance returned. Ayton was not alone. Doncic added 25 points of his own, though on a rough 8-for-23 shooting night, and LeBron James logged his second straight game, finishing with 24 points. That was 74 points combined from the trio, exactly the kind of production the Lakers envisioned.

Toronto’s main resistance came from Scottie Barnes, who scored 22, and Sandro Mamukelashvili with 20. Former Laker Brandon Ingram finished with 19.

The Raptors struggled badly from the perimeter, making just seven 3-pointers. As a result, their usual ball movement and clean catch-and-shoot looks never materialized. The Lakers’ defensive weaknesses were largely forgotten during a dominant fourth quarter that sealed the outcome, holding Toronto to just 13 points. The mood around the building shifted noticeably. After days of tension, there was a sense of reconciliation all around.

Defense delivers when it matters

The final score read 110-93, with a decisive 23-13 advantage in the fourth quarter. For the Lakers, this was a critical game emotionally as much as competitively.

There is always pressure to entertain in Los Angeles, but the urgency here was about proving they still belong in the Western Conference conversation despite obvious roster limitations. Just as important was sending a message that they are not a defensive liability every single night.

Toronto entered with one more win than the Lakers, both now sitting at 25, and looked like a manageable opponent. The Raptors actually struck first, led by rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, and took a seven-point lead after the first quarter. Ayton and James steadied the offense in the second, bringing the Lakers back into the game. The teams traded punches in the third until back-to-back 3-pointers from Rui Hachimura broke the deadlock heading into the final period.

From there, the Lakers locked down the paint. Jarred Vanderbilt was instrumental, finishing with a plus-25 rating while on the floor. That defensive edge made all the difference.

This time, it all made sense.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

Los Angeles Lakers

Stats

23 LeBron James
12 Jake LaRavia
5 Deandre Ayton
77 Luka Dončić
36 Marcus Smart
6 Kobe Bufkin
28 Rui Hachimura
11 Jaxson Hayes
9 Bronny James Jr.
14 Maxi Kleber
4 Dalton Knecht
3 Nick Smith Jr.
17 Drew Timme
2 Jarred Vanderbilt
7 Gabe Vincent

Stats

	Min	Pts	TR	OR	DR	Ast	Los	Rec	Blk	S1	S2	S3	RF	CF	Val
23 LeBron James	31	24	4	2	2	7	3	0	2	4/4	7/13	2/4	0	0	0
12 Jake LaRavia	19	2	5	1	4	2	0	1	0	0/0	1/1	0/4	0	0	0
5 Deandre Ayton	32	25	13	1	12	1	0	0	1	5/6	10/10	0/0	0	2	0
77 Luka Dončić	33	25	2	0	2	7	4	1	1	4/5	3/11	5/12	0	4	0
36 Marcus Smart	25	8	5	1	4	3	5	1	0	0/0	1/3	2/3	0	3	0
6 Kobe Bufkin	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
28 Rui Hachimura	21	10	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0/0	2/4	2/6	0	1	0
11 Jaxson Hayes	13	3	5	2	3	0	2	0	0	1/2	1/1	0/0	0	2	0
9 Bronny James Jr.	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
14 Maxi Kleber	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	0	0
4 Dalton Knecht	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/0	0	1	0
3 Nick Smith Jr.	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/1	1/2	0	0	0
17 Drew Timme	16	3	3	0	3	2	0	0	0	0/0	0/2	1/2	0	0	0
2 Jarred Vanderbilt	21	2	9	1	8	1	0	2	2	0/0	1/1	0/0	0	1	0
7 Gabe Vincent	16	5	1	1	0	2	0	1	0	0/0	1/2	1/3	0	1	0

Toronto Raptors

Stats

4 Scottie Barnes
3 Brandon Ingram
12 Collin Murray-Boyles
30 Ochai Agbaji
5 Immanuel Quickley
77 Jamison Battle
1 Gradey Dick
0 A.J. Lawson
54 Sandro Mamukelashvili
55 Alijah Martin
2 Jonathan Mogbo
23 Jamal Shead
17 Garrett Temple

Stats

	Min	Pts	TR	OR	DR	Ast	Los	Rec	Blk	S1	S2	S3	RF	CF	Val
4 Scottie Barnes	35	22	9	3	6	3	2	1	0	2/4	10/19	0/2	0	2	0
3 Brandon Ingram	34	19	6	1	5	7	3	3	1	3/3	5/12	2/7	0	1	0
12 Collin Murray-Boyles	24	11	7	2	5	5	0	0	3	1/1	5/7	0/0	0	1	0
30 Ochai Agbaji	24	0	3	2	1	1	0	0	0	0/0	0/2	0/3	0	2	0
5 Immanuel Quickley	28	9	3	0	3	7	1	1	0	0/0	3/5	1/4	0	1	0
77 Jamison Battle	8	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/1	0	1	0
1 Gradey Dick	12	0	2	1	1	0	1	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/2	0	1	0
0 A.J. Lawson	6	5	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	2/2	0/1	1/2	0	1	0
54 Sandro Mamukelashvili	24	20	6	1	5	2	0	1	1	2/5	6/7	2/5	0	1	0
55 Alijah Martin	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0/0	0/1	0/0	0	0	0
2 Jonathan Mogbo	14	4	3	0	3	1	0	0	0	0/0	2/2	0/0	0	1	0
23 Jamal Shead	22	3	1	0	1	3	2	1	0	0/0	0/3	1/5	0	3	0
17 Garrett Temple	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0/0	0/0	0/1	0	0	0