Nba results: Lakers, with Toronto new flop. The ranking is now scary

And now Los Angeles really cares. The return of LeBron James did not wipe out the uncertainties of the Lakers, who also fall against the Raptors, 121-114, overwhelmed at the Staples Center by Pascal Siakam (39 points and 13 rebounds) and Kyle Lowry (37 with 11 rebounds) assists), back All Star for one night and protagonists of one of the most beautiful victories of this strange season in Toronto. With 8 games still to play, even the Lakers season risks becoming strange: if on the one hand LeBron and Anthony Davis are the breath of yellow-violet optimism that in the playoffs everything will be fine, every defeat like this makes the nightmare more real. In and adds a crack in the certainties of Los Angeles, shaken by 6 defeats in the last 7 games. And from the right ankle of King James, forced to stop in the middle of the fourth period in a game, however, already compromised.

Difficulty

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The Lakers (36 won-28 lost so far) now have the same record as Dallas and Portland, with which in the next two weeks they will be engaged in a sprint for the positions between the 5th and 7th: one of these three teams will end up in the Play -In and the reigning champions are the team that is definitely worse off among the three. And the one that most needs that week of training and rest between the end of the regular season (May 16) and the start of the main playoff draw (May 23) to get back on track. Because the Lakers are far from the team they want to be. They are an open construction site that is re-introducing two of the 5 best players in circulation, but still far from their maximum levels. The entry of Dennis Schröder into the anti Covid protocol risks further slowing down the work: the German, who became leader after LeBron’s departure, was one of those who most needed to play with the two phenomena to understand his role well . Against Toronto, the state of the defense is also worrying: instead of being the certainty of Vogel’s team, it took an unauthorized rest evening by granting 72 points in the first half to Canadians who emigrated to Tampa. “We are not playing well now, but we are a good team and we know what we can be complete – concedes coach Vogel -. Hard to miss Schröder when you’re trying not to use too much LeBron. But we are convinced of what we can be complete and we must continue to push in this period of adaptation which, as we expected, is complicated ”.

Pride

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Toronto (27-38) broke the Staples Center with the pride of its champions. Lowry above all: he played as a phenomenon, reaching with his best game of the season the peaks of the 2019 Finals when the title was at stake and not a victory that risks being insignificant in what is already the worst season for Canadians since 2012-13. Pride, and a lot, also Siakam has put in it: had he played like this all year, the Raptors would probably be fighting for a post in the postseason, rather than hooked to the Play-In more by mathematics than by will. Nurse in Los Angeles did not have VanVleet, Anunoby, Bouche and Trent: De’Andre Bembry took the opportunity to stand out behind the Big Three, closing with 14 points from the bench and helping to build the escape he has in the 2nd quarter decided the match.

The match

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The 27-15 Lakers that unleashed Kuzma (11 points in the first quarter) signs less than 8 ‘after the tap-off is the story of the match that was not. Because then Toronto, dragged by Siakam and Lowry, starts running, closing the first half with a partial of 23-6 which is worth 72-59 at the interval. Siakam roars at the start of the second half and feeds the 10-2 run that launches the Raptors on 82-61 at 8’13 ”from the siren. The Lakers start the last quarter under 99-84, return to -10 with 9’34 ”to play but are immediately thrown back by the wild Lowry. The final surge of pride does not change the result.
LA Lakers:Kuzma 24 (2/5 of two, 6/11 of three, 2/2 free throws), James 19, Drummond 19. Rebounds: Drummond 11. Assists: Davis 7, Horton-Tucker 7.
Toronto:Siakam 39 (11/18, 4/8, 5/7 tl), Lowry 37, Bembry 14. Rimbalzi: Siakam 13. Assist: Lowry 11.