Toronto vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction: the End of the Raptors' Bad Luck

Toronto and LeBron James in the East have always been a rivalry, with the King almost always succeeding. The Raptors have an excellent chance to get even with LeBron - can they beat the Lakers in a head-to-head meeting?

The Raptors are one of the most inconsistent yet interesting teams in the NBA regarding speed. They try to slow down on the court, and they're only sometimes fast on offense. The Canadian team ranks 6th in the number of shots in the final seconds of possession. Only four clubs from 17 to 20 seconds shoot more often than Toronto. But the Raptors are the best in the fast break, averaging 18.5 points. Among the players, Anunoby is second only to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyler Dorsey.

True, as much as we admire this ability to control the tempo, Nick Nurse's wards have failed 3 out of the last four games. Only 8 Raptors players participated in the recent game against Boston, as Otto Porter, Precious Achiuwa, and Juancho Hernangomez are still out with injuries. Toronto lost 110-116. The result might have been different had OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Fred VanVleet made more shots from beyond the arc. The trio made only three 3-pointers on 17 attempts, though Ted Young, Gary Trent Jr., and Pascal Siakam made up for it and pushed their team-high field-goal percentage to 35.7. The fast breaks worked just as well, but Toronto was worse than the Celtics on offense.

Anthony Davis was finally back to his old self. He barely played in the last game, but before that, he earned 99 points in 2 games. He is averaging 27.3 points on the season. So the Lakers have moved closer to the top 10 in the Western Conference, though they remain in 13th place.

The Lakers' four-game winning streak was snapped in a game against Cleveland. Davis scored only 1 point in 8 minutes, but even without him, Los Angeles kept the intrigue alive until the 4th quarter. Thomas Bryant had a good game, hitting 8 of 12 shots, while LeBron James, Dennis Schroder, and Russell Westbrook fell just short of the 50% mark. The truth is, even that isn't enough when one of your stars isn't on the floor. The Lakers again shot very poorly from beyond the arc: only 6 of their 36 long-range attempts were successful. Even Austin Reaves had trouble getting a throw-off, and it was hard to hope for a win in that scenario.

The matchup against Cleveland showed that the Lakers' problems aren't going anywhere, and the absence of Anthony Davis significantly lowers Los Angeles' chances of winning any game. The Lakers are still lacking snipers, and against Toronto, they will have a tough time at the arc. The Raptors have been unlucky of late, but the team is playing well, and their troubles should end sooner or later. Nick Nurse's team is solid at home, and it's time to beat the Lakers at Scotiabank Arena finally.

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