Sandro Mamukelashvili was a fan-fave, but the Raptors need to win this

The Toronto Raptors begin their Los Angeles road trip on Sunday, November 1, against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. The matchup features former Toronto forward Sandro Mamukelashvili facing his old club alongside a 4-2 Lakers squad led by Luka Dončić. Toronto enters the contest seeking to end a losing streak against the Lakers that dates back to December 2022.

Raptors HQ notes that Toronto will have to compete without the injured Kawhi Leonard, putting the onus on Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett to lead both offensively and defensively. Center Jakob Poeltl faces a challenging interior battle against Los Angeles center Walker Kessler, while young guard Ja’Kobe Walter enters the starting lineup to contend with Austin Reaves.