NBA: Lakers beat Raptors at buzzer as LeBron James' double-digit scoring streak ends

Hachimura’s Buzzer-Beater Lifts Lakers Over Raptors, Ending LeBron’s Scoring Streak. Rui Hachimura hit a game-winning corner three-pointer at the buzzer Thursday night, leading the visiting Los Angeles Lakers to a thrilling 123-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

LeBron James set up the decisive basket with his 11th assist of the game. He finished with eight points, ending his remarkable streak of 1,297 consecutive games with double-digit scoring. James’ last game scoring fewer than 10 points was on Jan. 5, 2007, against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 44 points and added 10 assists in the opener of a three-game road trip. Deandre Ayton contributed 17 points, Jake LaRavia added 14, and both Hachimura and Nick Smith Jr. scored 12 points each.

For Toronto, Scottie Barnes posted 23 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Brandon Ingram added 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while Ja'Kobe Walter scored 17 points. Immanuel Quickley and Sandro Mamukelashvili contributed 13 apiece, Collin Murray-Boyles scored 12, and Jamison Battle finished with 10 points.

The Lakers played without Luka Doncic (personal reasons) and Marcus Smart (back), while the Raptors were missing RJ Barrett (knee) and Jakob Poeltl (back).

The game was a back-and-forth battle. The Lakers held a two-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, later extending it to five on a Smith three-pointer. Battle tied the game at 108 with 7:47 remaining, then gave Toronto a two-point lead with a 20-footer with under six minutes left. Reaves tied it again at 112 with two free throws.

Toronto briefly took a three-point lead on Battle’s layup with 4:54 remaining. Reaves responded with a floater, tying the game at 120 with 41.2 seconds left, setting the stage for Hachimura’s buzzer-beater.

Earlier, the Lakers led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter, settling for a 31-26 lead after 12 minutes. In the second quarter, L.A. extended their advantage to 10 after James’ driving layup with 9:32 left, but Walter’s three-pointer cut it to two points with 5:21 remaining. The Lakers then scored 10 unanswered points during Toronto’s seven consecutive missed shots. Jaxson Hayes’ layup pushed the lead to 13 with 1:34 remaining, before Mamukelashvili’s late three-pointer narrowed the halftime score to 67-58.

Toronto rallied in the third quarter, tying the game at 79 on Walter’s three-pointer with 7:26 remaining. Murray-Boyles gave the Raptors a one-point lead on a tip with 6:07 left. Reaves’ three-pointer and James’ layup then put the Lakers ahead by four. Reaves’ 22 points in a high-paced third quarter helped L.A. maintain a 100-98 advantage heading into the fourth.

The Lakers’ resilience and clutch shooting capped a thrilling win, while Hachimura’s last-second heroics secured a memorable start to their road trip. -Field Level Media/Reuters