Breadcrumb Trail LinksSportsBasketballNBAToronto RaptorsIn the most anticipated meeting of the season, the Raptors' eight-game home win streak will be tested with Lakers in town. Get the latest from Frank Zicarelli straight to your inbox Sign Up Published Dec 03, 2025 • Last updated 4 minutes ago • 4 minute readLos Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic shoots as Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks defends. AP PhotoArticle contentFor the first and only time this season, Raptors fans will get to see the Los Angeles Lakers in person on Thursday night, arguably the NBA’s marquee franchise whose storied history is dotted with some of the most accomplished and highest-profiled players the league has ever seen.Advertisement 2THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsArticle contentThere’s no bigger name in basketball than LeBron James, a noted Toronto tormentor whose visits to the 6ix have often generated the biggest buzz.Article contentArticle contentThe Lakers, who are coming off a bad home loss to the Phoenix Suns, begin a three-game Eastern trip that will see L.A. play in Boston on Friday followed by a Sunday tip in Philly.James turns 41 later this month and the NBA’s career scoring leader has yet to declare whether his 23rd season will be his last.This season began James rehabbing from a sciatica injury that sidelined him for 14 games, a stretch that saw the Lakers post a 10-4 record. He would later be inactive for one game because of a foot injury.In the five games James has played, he has reached the 20-point total once.Your Midday SunYour noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againArticle contentAdvertisement 3Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Play VideoIn L.A.’s loss to the Suns, James scored 10 points to extend his regular-season streak of reaching double figures to a jaw-dropping 1,297 games.To put it into context, James began the streak on Jan. 7, 2007, mere weeks after Cooper Flagg, this year’s first overall pick, was born.Turned the pageWhile James remains one of the game’s most compelling figures, the Lakers have turned the page to the Luka Doncic era.Doncic leads the NBA in scoring, a dominant player whose high-arching jump shot is virtually unstoppable.From the time the Lakers acquired Doncic last season in that controversial deal that sent Anthony Davis — who teamed up with James to win L.A.’s most recent title — to Dallas, the debate whether Doncic shoots too much or whether he should defer more often has raged.Advertisement 4Article contentIt was reignited in the wake of Monday’s setback to the Suns, whose 125-108 victory snapped L.A.’s seven-game win streak.Quick and explosive starts have been Doncic’s calling card this season and it continued Monday when he scored 20 first-quarter points en route to a 38-point outing.Phoenix forced 22 turnovers, including turning over Doncic a career-high-tying nine times, and would jump out to a 21-point lead in the third quarter by torching the Lakers in transition.Offensively, the Lakers are as exciting as any team, but their defence is lacking.The 15-5 Lakers sit in second place in the West behind the 21-win OKC Thunder. L.A. is 8-2 on the road, but both setbacks were lopsided, beginning with a 20-point blowout loss in Atlanta followed by a 29-point defeat to the reigning champion Thunder — both losses part of a five-game trip that saw the Lakers go 3-2.Advertisement 5Article contentStill, the Lakers are must-see, which is why Thursday’s visit to Scotiabank Arena has all the makings of that rare event designation.Dynamic backcourt duoKing James draws all the attention, but a symbolic passing of the torch puts Doncic squarely into the spotlight.His chemistry with Austin Reaves makes the Lakers backcourt tandem one of the most entertaining in the NBA, the league’s best one-two punch since the days of Golden State’s Splash Brothers.Doncic’s distance shooting might rival Steph Curry, while Reaves’ defence is nowhere near the level of a Klay Thompson, but the Lakers’ duo is nonetheless elite given its shot-making and creation.Prior to their loss to the Suns, the Lakers defeated the visiting New Orleans Pelicans. In the win, both Doncic and Reaves scored 30 points for the third game in a row to become the fourth tandem in NBA history to achieve the feat.Advertisement 6Article contentThe other duos were San Antonio’s George Gervin and Mike Mitchell in 1984, Golden State’s Monta Ellis and Corey Maggette in 2010 and, more recently, in 2023 when Milwaukee teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard reached the milestone.Following the win over the Pels, Lakers head coach JJ Redick was asked about his starting backcourt and why the Doncic-Reaves tandem has flourished.“I think for him (Reaves), there’s a cadence right now to his game,” Redick told reporters. “He’s got a great understanding of when he has a good matchup.Read More Clippers stun NBA world by 'parting ways’ with Chris Paul, abruptly sending home veteran Raptors extend home unbeaten streak to eight with win over Portland Trail Blazers Lack of size and grit threaten to stall Raptors’ promising start Advertisement 7Article content“He’s got a great understanding of how to play with Luka and so the flow state that every athlete kind of searches for, he’s just in that right now.“And I mean, maybe it is easy for him, but it doesn’t look easy. But he’s making it look like it’s normal in some ways. I would call it normal, not easy. And that’s a testament to how good of a basketball player he is.”Congested tripThe Lakers roll into Toronto looking to begin their congested trip on a winning note.Thursday’s game represents the biggest home game for the Raptors, whose opener against the Bucks happened to coincide with Game 1 of the World Series.Next week’s NBA Cup quarterfinal against the visiting New York Knicks — a marquee franchise in its own rights — promises to be good.The Knicks don’t have the star quality as the Lakers, who will play host to San Antonio in the NBA Cup’s Western quarterfinal.Perhaps Thursday’s Raptors-Lakers tip will be a preview of this year’s Cup final.fzicarelli@postmedia.comArticle contentShare this article in your social networkComments Join the Conversation