NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking Points from Los Angeles Lakers vs Toronto Raptors

The Los Angeles Lakers failed to keep pace with the Toronto Raptors and dropped the first game of a back-to-back by a 111-98 scoreline.

The Lakers showed energy and fight tonight but the Raptors' depth proved too much to handle for them. The Raptors had a 25-33 lead after the first quarter but the match remained a very close one till the 4th quarter when they made their move.

With the win, the Raptors moved to within 2.5 games of the league leaders, Milwaukee Bucks. The Raptors have a 49-20 record and are the second best team in the league.

Meanwhile, the Lakers have almost no shot of getting to the playoffs this year. They have a 31-37 record right now and are 7.5 games behind the 8th and final playoff spot.

Let's have a look at the key talking points from the match:

#1 Bench strength of Raptors

Toronto Raptors have a very good squad this year

The Raptors have one of the deepest squads in the NBA. Despite the absence of Kyle Lowry in this match, the roster wasn't affected.

The Raptors got 43 points from the bench in this match in a dominant display. The Lakers are already pretty shorthanded right now and playing against one of the deepest rosters in the NBA didn't help.

Norman Powell had a great game for the Raptors. He scored 20 points and grabbed 8 rebounds coming off the bench. He also shot 7-14 from the field and 3-6 from the 3PT line. Anunoby, McCaw and Miller all played a crucial role in this game as well.

Kawhi Leonard top scored for the team. He finished with 25 points on 5-8 shooting from the 3PT line. It will be interesting to see what the upcoming Free Agency has in store for Leonard.

#2 Good defensive effort shown by the Lakers

Good display of effort in this match from the Lakers but they still fell short

The Lakers have struggled a lot on the defensive end over the past few months, but despite the loss tonight, they did ramp up the intensity on defence.

The Lakers kept the Raptors shooting below 40% from the field and also from the 3PT line. The Lakers showed energy and hustle and were up for the challenge in this match. They also had 11 steals and kept bothering the ball handlers, leading to 17 turnovers for the Raptors.

The one area where they should have been more proactive was on the boards. The Raptors had 13 offensive rebounds compared to just 6 offensive rebounds for the Lakers. This allowed the Raptors to get easy second looks and might just have been the difference between the two teams on the night.

#3 Poor shooting from the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled when it comes to shooting

The Lakers' struggles from deep are well known at this point. They don't have a consistent outside threat at this point and that is hampering their play.

The Lakers were again pathetic from outside the arc. They shot 7-31 from the 3PT line compared to 16-41 shooting from outside from the Raptors. None of the players got going for the Lakers.

Reggie Bullock who was acquired at the trade deadline specifically to solve the shooting woes shot only 2-7 from the 3PT line, while LeBron James shot 1-5 from 3. Kyle Kuzma has struggled the entire year with his three point shots and Caldwell-Pope missed some sitters to finish with 1-8 shooting from the 3PT line.

The season is almost over for the Lakers. But if they want to improve their displays next campaign, they must prepare a roster with some deadly shooters.