NBA Preview: Los Angeles Lakers vs Toronto Raptors

The Los Angeles Lakers will head to Canada on Thursday for a matchup with the Toronto Raptors.

Los Angeles enters the game with a 15-5 record, coming off a 125-108 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. Luka Dončić led the Lakers with 38 points in the defeat, continuing his outstanding form through the early parts of the season.

The Slovenian guard is averaging a league-leading 35.3 points per game on the season, and his 8.9 assists per game rank fourth overall.

Those strong numbers have Dončić in the thick of the MVP race, where he currently sits third on FanDuel. His +270 odds trail only Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who sit at +155 and +165, respectively.

Dončić isn’t the only scorer for the Lakers, as fellow guard Austin Reaves has scored 28.1 points per game, which ranks 11th in the league. That average is inflated by a stretch where Reaves served as Los Angeles’ primary option with Dončić out, but he’s been a solid second choice all year.

All-time great LeBron James has struggled, only playing in five games so far. He’s only put up 15.2 points per game, recording only 10 in the contest with Phoenix. In the later stages of his career, he’s clearly shifting to a role player for the Dončić-led Lakers.

For the Raptors, a strong forward trio has led the way in points, as Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett have averaged 21.5, 19.9 and 19.4 points per game, respectively.

Barnes has also been a strong defensive force for the Raptors, leading the team with 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.

Toronto is 14-7 on the season, coming off a two-game losing streak. They lost to the Charlotte Hornets 118-111 before most recently falling to the New York Knicks 116-94.

For Thursday’s contest, ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Lakers a 54.3% chance to secure the victory. The Raptors’ losing streak will continue, however, as Dončić, Reaves and James’ star power will be too much for the team to overcome. Lakers win, 119-103.

Elliott Inscho is a first-year student majoring in digital and print journalism. To contact him, email eli5026@psu.edu