Luka Doncic scores 45 as the Lakers hold off the Raptors 131-125

Luka Doncic scored 45 points with 15 rebounds, six assists and five steals as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 131-125 on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena, per the AP recap on ESPN and the ESPN box score.

The Lakers are 5-2. Toronto fell to 3-3 to open a four-game road trip.

Doncic did it early

Doncic had 16 points and four 3-pointers in the first quarter, and Los Angeles led 36-23 after one. He had 24 points and eight rebounds at halftime and reached 37 before the third quarter ended. That makes four straight games with at least 37 points, according to the AP.

He finished 12 of 23 from the field, 8 of 12 from 3-point range and 13 of 13 at the line. The AP said it was his 20th game of 40 or more points in 98 regular-season games with the Lakers, and his second with the team with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five steals. No other Laker has put up that line in a game since the 1982-83 season.

Kessler was perfect

Walker Kessler went 6 for 6 for 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds with three blocks. Austin Reaves scored 19, Collin Sexton added 14 off the bench and Sandro Mamukelashvili had 11.

The late scare

The Lakers led 102-76 with 90 seconds left in the third. Toronto trimmed that to single digits before Doncic and Reaves started a 9-1 run. Los Angeles pulled its starters with 1:43 left and a 16-point lead, and the Raptors' reserves scored 11 points in 40 seconds to make it 125-120. Doncic, Reaves and Kessler came back in to close it out. Toronto scored 43 points in the fourth quarter.

The Lakers turned it over 24 times, which helped keep the Raptors around.

Toronto's side

Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 29 points, and RJ Barrett had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Jamison Battle scored 20 off the bench. Toronto played without Kawhi Leonard, who missed his fourth straight game with a knee injury, and Jakob Poeltl, listed out with a left shoulder injury in the box score. The Raptors shot 17 of 54 from 3-point range.

Lakers first-round pick Cameron Carr made his NBA debut in the final 1:43 after missing the first six games with an oblique injury.

What's next

Both teams play again Monday. The Lakers host the Heat, and the Raptors visit the Clippers. Doncic's run of 37-point games is the number to watch.