LeBron James was in the building and Kawhi Leonard was matched up against him. And yet the major emphasis for the Raptors against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night was getting a 34-year-old Toronto centre known for more for his smarts than his athleticism as heavily involved as they could.
And mission accomplished where Marc Gasol was concerned in Toronto’s 111-98 victory over the James and the Lakers at the Scotiabank Arena.
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Raptors coach Nick Nurse had said for two days that he was going to use three Gasol starts — all courtesy of a suspension to Serge Ibaka — to give the seven-footer more chances to contribute.