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

The Raptors’ road trip begins with an LA double feature against the Lakers and the Clippers, starting with the boys in the gold and purple this Sunday, November 1st.

This will be Toronto’s first look at either of the Los Angeles teams this season, with both organizations boasting former Raptors under contract — on the Lakers, the beloved Georgian forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, and on the Clippers, former All-Star Brandon Ingram. While Ingram is unfortunately still facing injuries that are keeping him off the court, Mamu will be there to greet his old teammates in full force; this time, looking to topple the red and black.

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Walking into Crypto.com Arena means not only saying hello to old friendly faces, but staring into the face of some serious adversaries, no one more prominent among them than Luka Dončić. Dončić has won four of his last five contests against the Raptors, and remains a part of a team that has an even more prominent winning streak against Toronto: the Raptors haven’t won against the Lakers since December of 2022, and will be going into this matchup looking to end this longstanding history.

In many respects, the Toronto Raptors have matured this year, even beyond the acquisition of Kawhi Leonard. The Raptors are neither a “young” team nor an “old” team at this point. Scottie Barnes is 25 years old, RJ Barrett is 26, and Immanuel Quickley is 27. But beyond age, the Raps are playing with a maturity unlike anything they’ve displayed in previous years, most prominently among them Scottie Barnes.

TORONTO, CANADA – OCTOBER 28: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors speaks with Raegan Subban after the game against the Orlando Magic on October 28, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Still early in the season, Barnes has demonstrated that his offensive game has…

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Publish date : 2026-11-01 13:00:00

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