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The questions the Lakers had to face as they returned to Southern California after a one-game trip to the Bay Area revolved around how this new group would respond to early-season adversity.

The answer: Pretty well, for the most part.

Less than 48 hours after blowing a 25-point lead that resulted in a 17-point loss to the Warriors, the Lakers bounced back with a 131-125 win over the Raptors on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena to improve to 5-2 on the season.

The rhythm of Sunday’s game was similar to Friday’s.

Luka Dončić once again got off to a hot start en route to a spectacular performance.

But this time, it was his effort on both ends of the floor that stood out, with his four steals and two charges drawn in the first quarter being just as impactful as the 16 points he scored in the opening frame.

The Slovenian superstar finished with 45 points (12-for-23 shooting, 8 of 12 on 3-pointers), 15 rebounds, six assists and five steals in 35 minutes against the Raptors.

It was his second 40-point, 10-rebound, five-steal game as a Laker, and he’s still the only player in franchise history to reach those statistical benchmarks in a game. 

Dončić, the league’s leading scorer, has scored at least 37 points in four consecutive games.

His performance was supported by 19 points and four assists from Austin Reaves, 14 points off the bench from Collin Sexton and a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double to go with three blocked shots from Walker Kessler.

The Lakers controlled most of the game, leading by as many as 26 points early in the third. 

The Raptors cut their deficit down to nine midway through the fourth before the Lakers regained composure.

But once coach JJ Redick emptied the bench with his team having what seemed to be a comfortable 14-point lead, the Lakers quickly lost control of the game, with the Raptors going on a 11-2 run to cut their deficit to 125-120 before Redick subbed Doncic, Reaves, Kessler and Matisse Thybulle back in with 44 seconds left.

With nine new players on the roster still working on maximizing their on-court chemistry, the Lakers are taking a patient approach to the start of the NBA season.

For now, it looks as if they’re fine with following Luka Doncic‘s lead.

The Lakers’ star had another sensational performance, finishing with 45 points in a 131-125 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night.

Doncic was key in helping the Lakers build a 26-point lead in the third quarter. He shot 12 for 23 on the night, going eight for 12 from three-point range. He made all of his 13 free throws and also had 15 rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Read more:Lakers blow 25-point lead in double-digit loss to Warriors

Not bad for 35 minutes of work on Doncic bobblehead giveaway night.

And his teammates did follow his lead, with Austin Reaves collecting 19 points and Walker Kessler producing a double-double with 16 points on six-for-six shooting and 15 rebounds to go along with three blocks. Collin Sexton came off the bench to score 14 points. Rookie Cameron Carr played his first game of the season, but he didn’t score.

The Lakers were sloppy with the basketball, turning it over 22 times. Scottie Barnes finished with 29 points and six rebounds for Toronto (3-3).

In the eyes of Lakers coach JJ Redick, each game the Lakers (5-2) play is a step in a process aimed at becoming a championship-contending team.

“Frankly, this entire season is about becoming a great team,” Redick said. “Like, we believe we can become a great team and I think as coaches, players, we all have to participate in patience with that. Doesn’t mean you allow things to happen and say, ‘Oh, that’s fine. That’s OK.’ No. No. No. You address those things. I think the guys are very, very open to that dialogue, both with each other and with the coaching staff.”

Doncic is certainly doing his part to bring a championship mood to L.A. He made a three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left before halftime to give the Lakers a 66-54 lead. He blew a kiss to the fans and waved his hand toward them, prompting cheers from the crowd.

The Lakers play the Miami Heat at home Monday night.

Injury update

Ziaire Williams missed his third consecutive game, but Redick said a scan on the forward’s ailing left foot was “clean.”

“I would describe it [as] soreness that just pops up in the morning and he’s feeling a lot better,” Redick said. “I think just being, again, cautious with the back to back.”

Read more:Mark Walter, Josh Kushner agree on outstanding terms linked to $12.5-billion Lakers sale

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Another night of brilliance from Luka Dončić led the Lakers to a bounceback win on Sunday as they knocked off the Raptors, 131-125.

Coming off a loss to the Warriors, LA rode Luka’s back to another win as he put up another 40-point game. The team struggled mightily in the minutes without him, but still did enough to hang onto the win, barely.

The Lakers forced 15 turnovers, many of those coming in the first period, which they turned into 23 points. They offset that by turning the ball over 24 times themselves, leading to 30 Toronto points. It was a much-improved performance from the bench as well as they scored 37 points.

Luka set the tone to start the game, as he’s one to do. However, this time, it came on the defensive end. The Lakers were particularly active on the defensive end, swiping seven steals in the quarter.

Behind that, LA jumped out to not only an early advantage, but a double-digit one at that. A 10-0 run all came at the hands of Luka, who hit a three, set up Matisse Thybulle for one and got assists on Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler finishes at the rim.

A 10-2 run shortly after included threes from Reaves and Sandro Mamukelashvili to build a 23-11 lead. Luka hit a pair of threes at the end of the period to help LA carry a 36-23 advantage into the second.

The Lakers were much better with Luka on the bench in this contest with Collin Sexton scoring eight points and Mamu connecting on another three to help keep LA ahead by 11 through the first nearly six minutes of the frame.

Toronto did eventually piece together a run that forced a timeout after a Jamal Shead corner 3-pointer made it just a 49-41 LA advantage. Shead converted on an and-one to trim the lead even further, but Jake LaRavia helped LA responded with consecutive threes to make it a double-digit lead once more.

Luka closed the half in style with a 30-foot 3-pointer just before the buzzer, giving the hosts a 66-54 lead at the break. It also gave him an absurd stat line of 24 points, eight rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists and a block in 18 minutes.

Luka did not slow down in the second half as he hit a trio of threes in the opening five minutes as the lead ballooned to 18 points.

Despite picking up his fourth foul on a silly double foul, he stayed red hot throughout, upping his total to 35 as the Lakers’ lead crossed the 20-point threshold. A Grimes 3-pointer to beat the shot clock late in the frame made it a 26-point lead, the largest of the night.

A small surge from the Raptors cut the gap to 21 points heading into the fourth. That run carried over into the final frame as Toronto was on a 15-4 run.

A Mamu 3-pointer stopped the bleeding only briefly before RJ Barrett pulled the visitors to within 14 to force a Lakers timeout. Luka checked back in just before the seven-minute mark with the Lakers down 12 after leading by 22 when he checked out.

Barrett knocked down another three to make it a nine-point lead. Luka answered with a layup, then Austin finished through contact at the rim to quell the Raptors’ run. A pair of Luka freebies helped stabilize LA further.

The Lakers finally pieced together a string of defensive stops that eventually led to Toronto pulling their starters down 15 with just over four minutes remaining and with a game against the Clippers on Monday.

JJ Redick soon followed suit by pulling the starters up 15 with 2:28 left. Cam Carr, fresh off the injury report, made his NBA debut in the final minutes of the game.

The garbage time minutes somehow went disastrously as the Raptors went on a 12-2 run to make it a six-point game with 43 seconds left, forcing the starters back into the game.

Luka promptly launched an 80-foot pass downcourt the first time he touched the ball for a wide open Kessler dunk that effectively sealed the game.

Key Player Stats

Luka had another huge night, finishing with 45 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and five steals. Austin Reaves had another quieter outing until some late buckets to help put the game away, tallying 21 points on 6-16 shooting. He did have just three turnovers to four assists.

Kessler had another double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Collin Sexton was the leading scorer off the bench with 14 points while Mamu had 11 points on 4-7 shooting. Jake LaRavia pitched in eight points and Thybulle had six.

The Lakers will be right back in action on Monday against the Heat. Tip is set for 7 p.m. PT.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg managed to bounce back in a big way on Sunday, Nov. 1.

The rookie led the Warriors in a 124-112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

It was a follow-up to his performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. A game that Lendeborg called the "worst game of my life."

Lendeborg had called out Lakers star Luka Doncic for his complaining after the first meeting between the two teams to open the season.

The Warriors managed to get the win in the most recent game to split the season series at one game apiece. Despite the win, Lendeborg wasn’t much of a factor. He was held to six points, one rebound and five turnovers before fouling out in 24 minutes of play.

"I had no impact on the game whatsoever (on Friday), and then the depth came in, and they took care of everything," Lendeborg told reporters. "Me having the worst game of my life, it's awesome to be able to see that those guys are there to just do what they have to do cause we're all in the NBA."

Here’s how Lendeborg performed in the Warriors' win against the Clippers, a game in which he scored the most points by a Warriors rookie since Steph Curry in 2010:

Yaxel Lendeborg’s stats vs. Clippers

• Points: 37
• FG: 13-for-19
• 3PT: 6-for-11
• FT: 5-for-6
• Rebounds: 4
• Assists: 6
• Steals: 1
• Blocks: 0
• Turnovers: 2
• Fouls: 1
• Minutes: 34

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yaxel Lendeborg bounces back with big night as Warriors beat Clippers

The Los Angeles Lakers put away the Toronto Raptors, thanks in no small part to another monster game from Luka Dončić, who scored 45 points and filled up the stat sheet as he continues to make an early-season case for MVP honors.

Coming off a disappointing loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday, Oct. 30, in which they faded after a fast start, the Lakers returned to Crypto.com Arena Sunday, Nov. 1 and got off to a fast start, with Dončić being particularly active on both ends of the floor. The Slovenian superstar finished the first half with 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a career-high five steals – four of which came in the first quarter.

"Luka doesn't get enough credit for his defense," Lakers center Walker Kessler said. "He's a very high IQ individual when it comes to being on the court, so his positional defense, just being in the right spots at the right time, is really good and it showed tonight."

Then there's also a bit of history he made: Dončić became the first NBA player in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98) with 20 points, five rebounds, five three-pointers and five steals in a half and the first point guard in NBA history with five steals and five three-pointers in a half.

Luka Dončić is the first NBA player in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98) with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 3-pt FG and 5 steals in a half 😲

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/so2gpqNJKz

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) November 2, 2026

The six-time All-Star and two-time scoring champ finished the game with eight 3-pointers, one shy of his career high.

Dončić was on quadruple-double watch early, especially with his five first-half steals, but he was not able to add to that category. Still, he finished with his second double-double of the season and his fourth in a row scoring at least 35 points even as the Raptors clawed their way back from a big deficit by outscoring the Lakers 43-27 in the fourth quarter.

It remains unclear if Dončić will play in the second game of a back-to-back on Monday against the Miami Heat.

"I got to get rest, a cold tub, a massage, and rest and see you tomorrow," Dončić told Spectrum SportsNet after the game on Sunday night.

Here’s how Dončić performed in the Lakers' 131-125 win over the Raptors:

Luka Dončić stats vs. Raptors

• Points: 45
• FG: 12-for-23
• 3PT: 8-for-12
• FT: 13-for-13
• Rebounds: 15
• Assists: 6
• Steals: 5
• Blocks: 1
• Turnovers: 7
• Fouls: 5
• Minutes: 35

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers' Luka Doncic makes history twice, fills up stat sheet vs Raptors

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night 124-112, improving to 4-3 on the season. It is the first time the Dubs have had a winning record since March 8th (when they were 32-31 last season). Despite sitting Steph Curry and Draymond Green on the first half of a back-to-back, Dubs rookie Yaxel Lendeborg continued showing he is capable of leading the team.

Both teams were pushing the pace early, and a cold three-point shooting start for Golden State allowed the Clippers to jump out to an early lead. Los Angeles led 37-29 at the end of the first quarter. Lendeborg responded with a 14-point outburst in the second that led Golden State to a 63-57 halftime lead. De’Anthony Melton continued his hot shooting stretch and Brandon Williams added 12 first-half points of his own.

To say Lendeborg looks better than anyone could expect of a rookie remains an understatement. The 11th overall pick is already the second most fluid offensive player on the Warriors roster. He has already showcased an excellent ability to utilize his size to attack openings with his size when he gets moving downhill. His jump shot has looked far more polished than expected.

But none of those previous flashes were as dominant as Yaxel’s outpouring of offense on Sunday.

On one three-play sequence, Lendeborg knocked down a mid-range fadeaway, a catch-and-shoot three at the top of the key, and then brought a Clippers player to the floor with an ankle breaker and drew a foul on a layup. Three levels of scoring on three plays.

Given some of Lendeborg’s recent struggles with turnovers, the Clippers tried attacking him with the smaller Kris Dunn. Dunn wreaked havoc all day defensively, racking up 7 steals, but Yaxel finished the game with just two turnovers.

Yaxel capitalized on his size advantage when he had it, pushing defenders into the paint and finding easy buckets. When the Clippers tried attacking him with defenders who could match his strength, they all were afraid of his drive, leaving him a lot of space to operate on the perimeter. With plenty of wide open opportunities, going 6-for-8 from three point range to start the game before some late-game launches as he forced it to try and reach 40.

Lendeborg finished with 37 points, the highest by a Warriors rookie since Steph Curry scored 42 in the final game of his rookie season, alongside 4 rebounds and 6 assists on 13-for-19 from the field. The Clippers deep bench went on a 13-0 run to cut the deficit to single-digits with two minutes to go, but head coach Steve Kerr trusted Melton and Brandin Podziemski to close the game out. Melton knocked down back-to-back threes to put the game out of reach.

Melton had a game-high +20 plus/minus, recording 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block on 6-for-8 shooting from the field (6-for-7 from three). Podz filled the statsheet with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Charles Bassey was very solid as the starting center, finishing with 6 points and 10 rebounds. Brandon Williams scored 17 points off the bench.

Rui Hachimura finished with a Clippers high 24 points. Kobe Sanders, Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, and Nick Marinelli also finished in double figures, but they simply lacked the offensive punch to keep up with Yaxel’s Warriors.

The Warriors will not have to wait long to continue their homestand. Golden State will be back at the Chase Center tomorrow night, hosting the Phoenix Suns. Steph Curry and Draymond Green should be back in the lineup (although the Dubs will certainly be sitting Al Horford and could conceivably be sitting Gui Santos and/or Brandin Podziemski as well). Opening tip is scheduled for 10 p.m. pacific time.

The Dallas Mavericks (4-2) will look to extend the first winning streak of the 2026-27 season on Monday when they host the Sacramento Kings (0-6), who are searching for any semblance of balance or defensive identity, at American Airlines Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Mavericks have won three in a row, including impressive showings against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets, which have fans wondering whether the fifth-youngest team in the NBA, which came into Dusty May’s first year as head coach with so many questions, might actually be good. I mean, what happens if the Mavs are actually good? Is that allowed?

Monday’s matchup against Sacramento offers the Mavericks an opportunity to do one of the things that good teams do: beat a bad team. Take care of business. My, how the mindset shifts when the first few things start going right.

Here are three things the Mavericks will have to account for to get a win over a struggling Kings bunch.

Fresh air vs. stale stink

In six short games, the Mavs have become one of the pleasant surprises of the early part of the 2026-27 season. The league is officially taking notice after the team’s 116-111 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday. Cooper Flagg is one of the most likable young, budding stars in the NBA. Irving’s return after missing the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from a mangled ACL is endearing.

Meanwhile, the Kings find themselves on the business end of a brutal 0-6 start in a year when the league’s worst record will no longer be rewarded with the most lottery balls in the 2027 Draft lottery. Including Monday’s game at Dallas, their next seven don’t provide many opportunities to get off the proverbial schneid, either. Sacramento has matchups the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder mixed in after the date in Dallas. They are staring 2-11 in the eye. Third-year head coach Doug Christie is a cumulative 49-90 since taking over for Mike Brown, who presided over the short-lived “Light the Beam” era of Kings basketball.

This year’s team has yet to hold an opponent to fewer than 121 points. The defense is… wanting.

Mavericks’ injury report

Mavs fans have been wondering in recent days how stretch big man Santi Aldama will fit into a team chemistry that is already working as the season gets off the ground. Aldama (right knee) is listed as doubtful once again for Monday’s game against the Kings. Word is that Aldama is close to being back, but it doesn’t appear Monday will be the day for his season debut in a Mavericks jersey, at least not as of Sunday night.

One odd note is that Kyrie Irving’s name continues to appear on the Mavericks’ injury report, even after (or, maybe because) he was turned loose in the win over the Rockets. He’s listed as questionable under the heading of injury management. Irving scored a game-high 35 points (in 35 minutes) and dished nine assists in the win that really got the league talking about the young upstart Mavs. The team had 73 hours off after Irving dropped 35 in a win. Is this just going to be a thing on the injury report all year, or what?

Sergio de Larrea (right knee sprain) is listed as out.

Darius Acuff

Love his game or hate his game, rookie Darius Acuff is the most interesting Sacramento Kings talking point for miles and miles and miles. The seventh overall pick of the stacked 2026 NBA Draft class comes into the game averaging 26.3 points per game through his first six. Golden State’s Yaxel Lendeborg (19.8 ppg) has made headlines for his scoring, along with his penchant for running his mouth, and Caleb Wilson (21.2) has impressed for the Chicago Bulls, but no one in the league, rookie or not, has the chance to redefine the term volume shooter quite like Acuff. Head coach Doug Christie has few other options on the roster, as Keegan Murray, Zach laVine, Ben Simmons, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell have all been sidelined or limited with injuries to open the year.

Acuff, who was third in the nation in scoring last year while playing college ball for Arkansas, is hoisting a healthy — a robust — 24 shots (9.8 3-pointers) per game. He comes into the game against the Mavericks on the heels of back-to-back 30-plus-point games and is now the youngest King (19 years, 349 days) to ever do that, surpassing the great Oscar Robertson (21 years, 357 days). He scored 38 on nine made 3-pointers in a 136-105 loss at the Memphis Grizzlies and 34 (to go along with 14 assists) in a 132-120 loss at the New Orleans Pelicans. Only Wilt Chamberlain has gotten to 150 career points faster than Acuff to start an NBA career.

Teammate Draymond Green, himself no stranger to on-court drama, had this to say on his podcast:

“My advice to him was just ‘hey man, who else touched the ball that possession?’, he’s like ‘nobody’ and I was like ‘don’t have many of those’ because you can end up having a bunch of those with the Sacramento Kings this year and a few things can happen, you can get guys start plotting against you, guys that don’t really wanna see you do well, guys that start bickering on the side to other guys… you can get guys that get upset like ‘aahh man they wanna give this rookie this, they wanna do that, f**k that!’… and so for me when I saw that, I just wanted to give him a little game.”

For the record, LaVine (elbow soreness) and Cardwell (calf strain) are listed as questionable for Monday’s game.

How to watch

The Mavericks and the Kings are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip on Monday. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29 and regionally on sister station throughout the Mavs’ viewership area, which includes North and Central Texas as well as parts of Northern Louisiana. The game will be streamed on MavsTV and on NBA League Pass, where available. The radio call will be on KRLD 105.3 The Fan.