The Los Angeles Lakers could have easily run away with Friday night’s game against the Toronto Raptors. Toronto was without a few major pieces and the Lakers led 43-19 after the first quarter and 76-51 at halftime. Had they kept their foot on the gas pedal, head coach JJ Redick could have breezed his way to his first ever road win.
Instead, the Lakers let the Raptors right back into the game with a 37-point third quarter and a repeat effort in the fourth. Allowing 74 points in the second half to a Raptors team missing Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley led to just a six-point win after leading by as much as 26.