Barnes scores career-high 32 points, but Raptors fall to Lakers for 3rd straight loss

D'Angelo Russell had 28 points and nine assists in his dynamic return from a six-game injury absence, Dennis Schröder added 23 points and seven assists and the Los Angeles Lakers won for the seventh time in nine games, 122-112 over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

The superstar big man had only eight points and nine rebounds while struggling against Toronto's defence, but Russell and his teammates took charge before Davis sealed the win on his only field goal of the second half with 46 seconds to play.

Russell was the centrepiece of the Lakers' activity at the trade deadline, but the point guard appeared in only four games to begin his second stint in Los Angeles before spraining his right ankle. He returned to the starting lineup with a spring in his step, hitting five three-pointers and making a series of high-difficulty plays that had the Lakers' home crowd roaring repeatedly.

WATCH | Russell powers Lakers past Raptors:

Scottie Barnes scored 20 of his career-high 32 points in the second half, and O.G. Anunoby made his first 11 shots while scoring 31 points in the Raptors' fourth loss to complete a tough five-game road trip. Toronto had won seven consecutive road games against the Lakers since 2014.

Russell and Schröder led an outstanding effort against Toronto, and the Lakers surged away to their sixth win in eight games since the All-Star break. Los Angeles also went 19 for 19 at the free throw line. Russell racked up 12 points and seven assists in the first half while the Lakers erased an early 15-point deficit.

The Lakers managed just four field goals in a nightmare third quarter, but took a nine-point lead midway through the fourth with a 26-8 run.

Will Barton scored five points for Toronto in his