Raptors' comeback vs. Lakers falls flat as Barrett, Dick put up career-highs in attempt to stop LeBron's scary movie

TORONTO — Even though Halloween was on Thursday, it appeared that scary hours were continuing into Friday for the Toronto Raptors at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron James arrived at Scotiabank Arena in a Scream mask, and it’s fair to think he was feeling confident after posting the nickname “LeBronto” to his Instagram stories page pregame. The four-time NBA Champion was doing everything to back it up, pushing the Lakers to a 43-19 lead to finish the first quarter behind his 14 points (3-3 from three).

James would ultimately finish the matchup with 27 points, six rebounds and 10 assists, which included a couple of nasty dimes to Anthony Davis, who himself had a night with 38 points and 11 rebounds, as the Lakers won 131-125.

However, the Raptors made sure the night wouldn’t be remembered as a scary movie. Instead, their young duo of RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick came together with career-nights to help bring the Raptors within six points with about a minute left in the fourth quarter, after falling back-and-forth into a double-digit deficit throughout the second half.

“First quarter was definitely a big problem. We found the rhythm in the second quarter. We found our mojo and energy, and since that point, we were playing really well,” said head coach Darko Rajaković, as the Raptors outscored the Lakers 106-88 in the final three frames.

A slow start isn’t new for the Raptors this season. Some of it can be attributed to their young roster, which at times tonight featured three rookies sharing the floor in Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo and Ja’Kobe Walter — against a star-studded Lakers lineup. It also didn’t help that they were without their all-star in Scottie Barnes for the second straight game, as the team battles a plethora of injuries.

“It looked a little bit like we were a little starstruck,” said Rajaković. “But we were able to wake up from that and play a very competitive game from that point.”

Jakob Poeltl, who finished with his third-straight double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds, says it took them a while to get adjusted to a “few really good individual players." As a result, “small mistakes” would “snowball into bigger problems,” especially on the defensive end, which impacted their offensive rhythm.

For Barrett, who finished with a career-high 12 assists, he’s taking it as a personal mission to make sure the team starts off better. It’s a problem that’s been plaguing them to start the season, such as in their Tuesday matchup against the Hornets, where they fell behind by 23 in the second quarter before staging a comeback.

“It's a problem that we have to fix,” said Barrett, who also finished with a team-high 33 points as he scored 12 in the fourth. “I think that I can 100 per cent do a better job. I got to lead the charge from the jump. I got to start out with that energy so that we can start these games properly.”

Barrett was instrumental in getting the Raptors humming, as the team tried to create offence in the absence of Barnes and also starting point-guard Immanuel Quickley, who’s been out since the season opener.

"RJ is very capable. I think that he needs to do more,” said Rajaković. “I'm a big RJ believer. I believe in him, and every single day I’m calling him for more. And tonight, he did a really good job.”

Another standout for the night was Dick, who for the third time this week set a new career-high in points, as his sophomore season-average now stands at 20.8. He was pivotal in getting the Raptors back on track in the second quarter, where he scored 12 of his eventual 31, to go along with a 10-point fourth quarter.

When asked what’s impressed Barrett about Dick’s game this year, he says “nothing,” because they’ve seen him put in the work all summer, and now they’re “expecting great things out of him.”

For Poeltl, he’s liked how Dick has been “aggressive hunting down his shots,” while staying active by cutting and getting to the rim as a “really good finisher.”

It’s been a bright spot for the Raptors as they battle injuries. Along with Barnes being out for at least the next couple of weeks because of a fractured right orbital bone, they’re without another pair of rotation players in Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk, to go along with Quickley.

Barrett says that more than anything he’s “encouraged to see just how good we are and how we can still be in these games, obviously, with some very key guys out. ... And you know, as guys come back, it'll be even better.”

For the Raptors, they’ll return to Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night to take on the Sacramento Kings. The night will be one to remember, as the Raptors retire Vince Carter’s jersey number at halftime, as part of their 30th anniversary season celebrations.

The Raptors will also look to pick up a much-needed win after the Lakers knocked them back to a 1-5 record, as they sit among the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.