The Lakers got the response they needed Sunday night, but the real story was Luka Doncic doing a little bit of everything to steady them when the game started to wobble.
Los Angeles held off the Toronto Raptors for a 131-125 win after coming off the loss to the Golden State Warriors, and Doncic was the engine throughout. He finished with a game-high 45 points, 15 rebounds and six assists, all while absorbing heavy defensive attention and still finding ways to tilt the floor in the Lakers’ favor.
What stood out most, though, was the defensive side of his night. Doncic came away with five steals and three charges, and that was enough for Walker Kessler to step in and push back on the usual criticism that follows the star around. Speaking to the media, Kessler said:
“He had five steals and three charges. Incredible.
Just incredible. Luka doesn’t get enough credit for his defense.
He’s a very high-IQ individual when it comes to being on the court. So, his positional defense is being in the right spot at the right time, and it is really good.”
That praise carries weight coming from Kessler, who anchors the Lakers’ defense and backed it up with his own strong line: 16 points, 15 rebounds, a steal and three blocks against Toronto.
Doncic’s defense has never been the first thing people mention, but Sunday showed how he can still make an impact without relying on pure athleticism. Kessler pointed to positioning and timing, and Doncic’s active hands were just as important. The steals and charges weren’t side notes - they were part of what made his performance so controlling.
Even so, the win wasn’t a clean team-wide statement. Outside of Doncic and Kessler, the Lakers didn’t get much consistent help. Austin Reaves managed 19 points but needed 16 shots to get there, while Quentin Grimes had a quiet night with seven points and three assists on 2-for-4 shooting in 24 minutes.
There were some useful contributions elsewhere. Collin Sexton added 14 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Jake LaRavia chipped in eight points and four assists while hitting 2 of 3 from deep. Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting.
But the overall production dipped in the second half, and that made the Lakers lean even harder on Doncic.
Right now, Doncic looks to be in spectacular form. The problem for Los Angeles is that his run is being muted by the uneven play around him, which only raises the burden on him night after night.
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