This one never spiraled, and that mattered. The Lakers didn’t need clutch baskets in the end. They took control early, leaned on their stars when things flattened out, and steadily pushed Toronto further out of reach. LeBron James and Luka Doncic carried the scoring load, but this win was just as much about defensive discipline and winning the paint.
Toronto had moments, but the Lakers dictated the flow. When they wanted to slow the game down, they did. When they wanted to attack mismatches, they found them. By the fourth quarter, the outcome felt settled.
Here’s how each Laker graded out.
LeBron James: A
Game Stats: 24 PTS, 4 REB, 7 AST, 2 BLK, 3 TOV, 9-17 FG, 2-4 3-PT FG, 4-4 FT, 32 MIN
LeBron played this one like a chess match. He picked his spots, didn’t force the issue, and still finished with 24 points and seven assists. When Toronto tried to speed things up, LeBron slowed them down. When they sagged, he made them pay.
What stood out was his control of the game. He didn’t dominate the ball, but everything ran smoother when he had it. The +18 reflected how much steadier the Lakers looked with him on the floor.
Luka Doncic: A
Game Stats: 25 PTS, 2 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 4 TOV, 8-23 FG, 5-12 3-PT FG, 4-5 FT, 34 MIN
Luka’s night wasn’t perfectly efficient, but it was impactful. He hit five threes, created shots for others, and consistently bent the defense with his ball control. Even when the jumper wasn’t falling early, Toronto had to stay glued to him.
What kept this from being a clean A was shot selection at times. Still, 25 points and seven assists is a productive night, especially when paired with LeBron.
Deandre Ayton: A
Game Stats: 25 PTS, 13 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK, 10-10 FG, 5-6 FT, 33 MIN
Deandre Ayton was flawless. Literally. Ten-for-ten from the field, controlled the paint, and punished Toronto every time they switched or hesitated. This was a dominant interior performance.
He didn’t need touches drawn up for him. He earned everything through positioning, strength, and patience. The +20 plus-minus told the story of how overwhelming he was when he anchored the floor.
Marcus Smart: B-
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 5 TOV, 3-6 FG, 2-3 3-PT FG, 25 MIN
Smart brought edge and urgency, particularly on the defensive end. He applied pressure on the ball, contested passing lanes, and wasn’t shy to make contact with bigger players. He was full of energy and set the tone, while on the negative side, the turnovers happened when he tried to do too many things with the ball. He played with purpose and understanding of his role, and he embraced it.
Jarred Vanderbilt: B-
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 9 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 1-1 FG, 21 MIN
This was Vanderbilt’s kind of game. He rebounded everything in sight, flew around defensively, and made Toronto uncomfortable without ever needing the ball. His +25 jumps off the page for a reason.
He did all the connective work that doesn’t always show up in highlights but absolutely shows up in wins.
Rui Hachimura: C+
Game Stats: 10 PTS, 1 TOV, 4-10 FG, 2-6 3-PT FG, 21 MIN
Rui gave the Lakers solid bench scoring, knocking down a couple of threes and attacking when lanes opened. He didn’t do much else statistically, but his scoring came at useful moments.
He wasn’t a defensive difference-maker in this one, but the offense off the bench was welcome.
Drew Timme: C
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 1-4 FG, 1-2 3-PT FG, 16 MIN
Timme’s minutes were productive and steady. He moved the ball well, finished when opportunities came, and didn’t make mistakes.
Nothing flashy, but no wasted possessions either. That’s valuable.
Jaxson Hayes: C
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 5 REB, 2 TOV, 1-1 FG, 1-2 FT, 13 MIN
Hayes provided energy and rebounding in limited time. He didn’t score, but he didn’t hurt the Lakers either.
A neutral outing that kept things stable.
Gabe Vincent: C
Game Stats: 5 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 2-5 FG, 1-3 3-PT FG, 17 MIN
Vincent provided the Lakers with good guard minutes, hitting a three and doing good ball movement. He didn’t pressure the offense, and stayed under control. It was an average game by most, but it was consistent.
Jake LaRavia: D+
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1-5 FG, 0-4 3-PT FG, 19 MIN
LaRavia struggled to make an impact offensively and never really found his rhythm. The shots didn’t fall, and his spacing didn’t force Toronto into uncomfortable rotations.
To his credit, he worked on the glass and stayed engaged defensively, but this was a quiet night overall. The Lakers were clearly able to win without needing much from him.
Dalton Knecht: N/A
Game Stats: 1 REB, 2 MIN
Knecht didn’t see enough action to get into any kind of rhythm. His minutes were brief and situational, and he mostly stayed spaced out on the perimeter. There wasn’t much opportunity for him to make an impression either way.
Nick Smith Jr.: N/A
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 1-3 FG, 1-2 3-PT FG, 2 MIN
Smith showed confidence in his brief run, hitting a three and playing aggressively despite limited minutes.
There’s something there, even if the sample size was small.
Kobe Bufkin: N/A
Game Stats: 2 MIN
Bufkin’s appearance was too short to evaluate in any meaningful way. He checked in, stayed within the offense, and didn’t force anything before heading back to the bench.
Bronny James: N/A
Game Stats: 2 MIN
Bronny checked in briefly and played within the flow. No mistakes, no impact plays.
These are development minutes, and that’s okay.
