The Lakers this season have generally played to the level of their competition. That's a nice thing in games against, say, Milwaukee or Oklahoma City. But it's been an issue against the lousy teams in the league as well. Tuesday in Toronto, the Lakers faced off against a Toronto Raptors team that had lost 13 straight games, and simply could not afford a letdown. This was a game they needed to win... And it was one of their better games of the season against a team like this one. After a slow start, the Lakers took control about halfway through the first quarter. They hit a minor lull near the half, but then came out in the third and completely blew the game open with a 36-21 quarter and in the end, the players you want to see playing in the fourth (Maxwell Lewis, Colin Castleton, etc.) were on the floor, and Anthony Davis and LeBron James were both under 30 minutes. Only one starter (D'Angelo Russell) cracked that 30 minute barrier. That'll help tonight when the Lakers face off against the Wizards in Washington, in another must-win game and a chance to move 11 games over .500 and finish the road trip at 5-1. Is the rest of the conference cooperating? Not really! But the Lakers are, at the least, taking care of what they can, and are giving themselves a chance to improve their postseason lot. That's about all they can do at this point. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The Lakers win in Toronto SEGMENT 2: 10 games over .500... and still stuck in 9th... SEGMENT 3: Are they peaking at the right time? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Amazon Fire TV Fire TV recently created Fire TV Channels to deliver a constant supply of the latest videos from your favorite sports brands, all for free. That includes all of us at Locked On and most of the big pro leagues and college conferences as well. To Learn More, visit www.amazon.com/LockedOnFireTV Nissan Our friends at Nissan have a lineup of SUV’s with the capabilities to take your adventure to the next level. Take the Nissan Rogue, Nissan Pathfinder, or Nissan Armada and go find your next big adventure. Shop NissanUSA.com. eBay Motors From brakes to exhaust kits and beyond, eBay Motors has over 122 million parts to keep your ride-or-die alive. With all the parts you need at the prices you want, it’s easy to bring home that big win. Keep your ride-or-die alive at EbayMotors.com. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. BetterHelp This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA today to get 10% off your first month. PrizePicks Go to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnba and use code lockedonnba for a first deposit match up to $100! Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. FanDuel New customers, join today and you’ll get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS if your first bet of FIVE DOLLARS or more wins. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)