Lakers vs Raptors Final Score: Lakers fall to Toronto 105-97 despite late surge

Despite strong efforts from Lou Williams, Julius Randle and Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers dropped their third game of the preseason to the Toronto Raptors. Kyle Lowry led all scorers with 25 points and also tallied six assists.

Williams struggled early against his former team, but scored back-to-back buckets to pull Los Angeles within four 101-97. He missed his next two shots and the Lakers dropped another game late. Williams finished with 19 points on 6-15 shooting.

Randle had a stellar night in just over 23 minutes of action. The prized second-year player dropped 17 points in addition to grabbing five boards. He also dished out three assists. Randle was excellent in the painted area and seems to be getting stronger and quicker as the preseason goes on.

Bryant clocked a little over 21 minutes in the loss. He scored 16 points and also had two steals on the defensive end. Bryant made some difficult shots and showed he could still play at a high level on both ends of the floor.

Rookie D'Angelo Russell did not play because of a bruised glute, leaving Jordan Clarkson to get most of the minutes at point guard. Clarkson had a solid game with 11 points, six assists and four rebounds. Robert Upshaw showed his potential as rim protector when he rejected Cory Joseph at the basket. The rookie center finished with six points and two blocks on the night.

The Lakers couldn't contain Lowry or the three-point shot. Toronto's star point guard hit four threes on six attempts and the Raptors hit 10 treys on 21 attempts for the game. Los Angeles was able to close on drivers, but couldn't prevent effective kickout passes to open shooters.

The Lakers get a few days off before returning home to face Maccabi Haifa on Oct. 11. The game starts at 6:30 p.m.