Getty LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a missed pass during the first half of a game against the Toronto Raptors.
The Los Angeles Lakers escaped with another nail-biter for their second straight win to get back to .500. But how they arrived there was the bone of contention for Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic, who blew his top postgame.
LeBron James had a curt reply when asked about Rajakovic’s epic rant.
“I felt like they fouled and we didn’t,” James told reporters after the game.
The Lakers had 36 trips to the foul line and made 28 free throws. On the other hand, the Raptors only went there 13 times and made 8.
What angered Rajakovic more was the free throw discrepancy in the fourth quarter, which he felt helped the Lakers win the tightly fought game.
“It’s outrageous. What happened tonight, this is completely B.S.,” Rajakovic told reporters after the loss. “This is a shame. Shame on the referees. Shame for the league to allow this. Twenty-three free throws for them, and we get two free throws in the fourth quarter? Like, how to play the game? I understand respect for All-Stars and all that, but we have star players on our team as well.
“It’s outrageous. What happened tonight, this is completely B.S.,” Rajakovic said. “This is a shame. Shame on the referees. Shame for the league to allow this. Twenty-three free throws for them, and we get two free throws in the fourth quarter? Like, how to play the game? I understand respect for All-Stars and all that, but we have star players on our team as well.
Anthony Davis hit eight straight free throws down the stretch to steady the Lakers amid the Raptors’ furious rally. The Lakers big man finished with a monster 41-point, 11-rebound and 6-assist performance. He sank 13 of 14 free throws as the Lakers exploited the absence of Raptors center Jakob Poetl (ankle injury).
Lakers Stars Co-Sign D’Angelo Russell’s Demotion
Lakers coach Darvin Ham’s decision to move D’Angelo Russell to the bench had the blessings of the team’s top stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“In his place, Ham went with a big, switchable group of Davis, James, [Jarred] Vanderbilt, [Cam] Reddish and Taurean Prince, hoping to up the team’s defensive impact,” McMenamin wrote on January 9. “The lineup change, sources told ESPN, was not a unilateral decision — Ham consulted with James and Davis on the concept.”
Russell is averaging 11.3 points and 5.3 assists since moving to the bench. The Lakers former starting point guard contributed 11 points and five assists against the Raptors. More importantly, he was a plus-7 during his 17 minutes on the floor.
D’Angelo Russell’s Bleak Trade Market
Russell’s demotion could also signal the Lakers have lost faith in the former no. 2 pick. But they will have a hard time moving him, according to Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer.
“And if you do want to look at potential trade scenarios the strategy of like resigning D’Angelo Russell to a theoretical tradable salary at $20 million, I’m not hearing from my calls around the league a ton of interest in that trade chip coming back,” Fischer said on the January 5 episode of the “No Cap Room” podcast.
The Lakers signed Russell to a $36 million, two-year deal in the offseason with an $18.6 million player option for the next season.