LeBron James, with 27 points, and Anthony Davis, with 38, crushed a Toronto Raptors team weakened by the absence of their main player, Scottie Barnes, in a game where the Los Angeles Lakers held a lead of up to 26 points, ultimately finishing with a 125-131 victory for the visitors. 

Davis and James ended the night with double-doubles. The center notched 12 rebounds in addition to his 38 points—his highest scoring game of the season so far—while LeBron added 10 assists. Bronny James, LeBron's son, played the last seven seconds of the game.

For the Raptors, the two top players were RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick. Barrett posted a double-double with 33 points and 12 assists, while Dick contributed 31 points. Center Jakob Poeltl also recorded a double-double, with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

The Raptors began the season with a weakened roster, and early injuries have only complicated matters for the Canadian team. Against the Lakers, the Raptors were missing their best player, Scottie Barnes, who suffered a right orbital bone fracture on Monday in an accidental collision with Nikola Jokic.

Barnes will be out for at least a month. His absence adds to those of Immanuel Quickley, sidelined with a pelvic contusion, and Kelly Olynyk, who has a back injury. Without Barnes, the Lakers found little resistance. LeBron James started his showcase from the first shot of the game, a three-pointer he sank within 10 seconds, much to the delight of the Canadian crowd.

After just 90 seconds of play, Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic had to call a timeout with the score at 0-7 in favor of the Lakers. By mid-first quarter, the Lakers had already scored 25 points. At the end of the first 12 minutes, the score was a shocking 19-43, with LeBron James already tallying 14 points and three three-pointers in as many attempts. 

In the second quarter, the Raptors adjusted their defense to contain LeBron, who, despite playing over eight minutes, only added four points. With Gradey Dick scoring 12 points in that period, the home team managed to slow down the Lakers’ onslaught.

By halftime, the score was a commanding 51-76, with Anthony Davis leading all scorers (19 points) followed by LeBron James (with 18). In the first eight minutes of the third quarter, a surge from Dick, Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl allowed the Raptors to cut the lead to eight points, 81-89, and finish the quarter trailing by 11 points, 88-99. Only Davis's strong performance, with 12 points in the quarter, kept Toronto from getting even closer.

The Raptors fought to come back until the end, but the massive hole they dug in the first half proved too deep. In the final 12 minutes, the Lakers managed their lead and finished the game with a six-point margin, 125-131.