Game Thread: Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The NBA is back, and finally, after 48 hours of watching other teams take the court, so are the defending NBA Champions, the Toronto Raptors.

This game has a lot to live up to. Not only are we, as Raptors fans, thirsting for real and meaningful hoops featuring our favourite team, but the Bubble games so far have been pretty great! The Lakers themselves played in one of the best games so far, a back-and-forth affair against the Clippers on Thursday, which came down to one final possession for the Clippers — a possession on which LeBron James defended both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and forced a Clippers miss.

This, obviously, is game two for the Lakers, and while there’s a possibility they’re still recovering from Thursday’s hard-fought affair, this should be an excellent test for the defending champs. The Lakers are both big and athletic, with quality shooters around LeBron James and Anthony Davis (hello, Danny Green!). The Raptors shut down LeBron and Davis (as much as anyone ever does) back in November, and the defense will need to be equally stout tonight.

The Raptors have won 10 straight against the Lakers — let’s see if they can make it 11, shall we?

Where to Watch:

Sportsnet One and CityTV (!), 8:30 p.m. EST

Lineups:

Toronto — Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol

Los Angeles — LeBron James, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee

Injuries:

Toronto — Oshae Brissett (right knee soreness — out); Patrick McCaw (left knee soreness — out)

Los Angeles — Rajon Rondo (thumb surgery — out); Anthony Davis (sore eye — probable); LeBron James (sore groin — probable); Kyle Kuzma (right ankle sprain — probable)