LOS ANGELES–Singer Drake and retired baseball player Derek Jeter watched intently from courtside seats as the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Toronto Raptors, 102-91, on a star-studded Friday night at Staples Center.
Lakers rookie D'Angelo Russell played his most impressive game of the season, and 20-year-old Julius Randle added a double-double in 30 minutes of play, but ultimately, Toronto guard Kyle Lowry scored 25 points and hit 7-11 from distance to give the Raptors the victory.
Toronto caught fire from distance with Lowry leading the way. The Raptors finished with 15 makes in 33 attempts from long range compared to 8-25 from beyond the arc for the home team. After the game, Lakers coach Byron Scott pointed to the three-pointers and untimely turnovers as primary causes of the defeat.
Russell and Randle serve as the fabric of the Lakers' future, so witnessing those two players put on strong performances, even if they came in defeat, provided the Lakers a much-needed silver lining in the 10th loss in 12 games.
Randle finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds in 30 minutes, and the 20-year-old rarely had trouble getting to his spots against Luis Scola. Randle shot 6-9 from the field. Russell tabbed 17 points on 7-16 shooting, and he hit 3-7 from three-point land. The 19-year-old rookie also added five rebounds and two assists in the loss.
Kobe Bryant continued to be the facilitator, as he led the team with five assists. Bryant's influence continues to shift into one of a ball mover and guiding offensive figure on the team rather than the elite scorer that has torched the league for two nearly decades. Instead, No. 24 only attempted 13 field goals on Friday, which included 0-5 from three. Bryant is now shooting 21.5 percent from three.
Former USC Trojan and Compton-native DeMar DeRozen struggled from the field early but managed to score late in the ballgame to finish with 18 points for Toronto.
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Next, the 2-10 Lakers play against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night at Staples Center.
Quote of the night:
"I never thought I'd see the day when I'd become the voice of ball movement reason. You know you have an issue. I never thought I'd see the day that I'm the one preaching that stuff. That's crazy." – Bryant after the loss
Kobe (Minutes)Watch
Kobe Bryant played 37 minutes in the game, which set a new season high for the 37-year-old, but the grizzled veteran shot down any talk of fatigue or overuse by starting his post-game press conference by stating, "I feel great."
"What happens in the days off, I'm able to get stronger and build a more solid foundation as the season goes on," Bryant added.
Bryant insisted that the time off earlier in the week had allowed his body to rest and his legs to grow stronger, which did not seem to point to the player sitting on Sunday. When asked about the minutes exceeding the original plan set forth, Scott remained adamant that he had not exceeded the limits set forth, as Bryant's average minutes on the season remain in the 30-32 minutes range.
On the season, Bryant is averaging 31.1 minutes per game, but he has averaged 33.6 minutes since Scott changed the veteran's substitution pattern five games earlier.
