The Toronto Raptors are officially facing a rough start in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jakob Pöltl and his teammates suffered their fifth loss of the season on Friday (local time), falling 125-131 to the Los Angeles Lakers in their sixth game. The center from Vienna recorded double figures for the third consecutive time, scoring 19 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He also contributed six assists and three blocks in 35:06 minutes on the court.
Despite the latest setback, the local NBA pioneer expressed pride in their “shorthanded team” (the Raptors are currently missing injured All-Star Scottie Barnes, among others). The Lakers “caught Toronto off guard” and quickly raced to a 26-point lead. “However, with the support of our fans, we played really well on both ends and made it exciting again,” said the 29-year-old.
After a complete failure to start, the Canadians found themselves trailing 19-45 at the beginning of the second quarter. Although they launched a comeback after halftime, they could not close the gap to within fewer than six points. RJ Barrett led Toronto with 33 points, while Gradey Dick added 31. The Lakers were led by Anthony Davis (38 points, 11 rebounds) and LeBron James (27 points, 10 assists).
On (this) Saturday, the Raptors will host the Sacramento Kings. The franchise from California’s capital arrives at Lake Ontario with a 123-115 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in tow. The top scorers were De’Aaron Fox (31) and former Toronto player DeMar DeRozan (27).
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers won their sixth consecutive game, defeating the Orlando Magic 120-109, with Darius Garland scoring 25 points. Oklahoma City Thunder improved their record to 5-0 after a 137-114 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 30 points. In a clash between two potential title contenders, the Minnesota Timberwolves edged past the Denver Nuggets 119-116, with Anthony Edwards (29) and Aaron Gordon (31) being the leading scorers.
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