Raptors player Darko Rajakovic is angry about the management of the loss to the Lakers

LOS ANGELES – Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic launched an angry attack on the referees after the Los Angeles Lakers scored 23 free throws in the fourth quarter of their 132-131 victory over the Raptors on Tuesday night.

Rajakovic, Toronto's first-year coach, ripped the lead on a free throw in the game afterward Anthony Davis He scored 20 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter while going 11-for-11 at the line in the final period. Davis hit 14 of the Lakers' 36 free throws, while the entire Toronto team made just 13 free throws.

“It's outrageous. What happened tonight is completely unacceptable,” Rajakovic said. “That's a shame. Shame on the referees. Shame on the league for allowing this. 23 free throws for them, and we got two free throws in the fourth quarter? Like, how do we play the game? I understand respect for everyone.” -Stars and all that, but we have star players in our team too.

“how [is it] Maybe Scotty BarnesWho is an all-star caliber player in this league, who goes to the rim hard every time and tries to get to the rim without fumbling and doesn't try to get foul calls, and gets two free throws throughout the game? Rajakovic added, hitting the table repeatedly for emphasis. “How is that possible?” How are you going to explain that to me?”

Davis grabbed 11 rebounds and went 13-for-17 while carrying the Lakers down the stretch. He completed his impressive performance by scoring 10 points in the final 1:01, including eight unmissed free throws, and making a key block on Barnes.

Davis' 14 free throw attempts were a season-high for the Lakers' big man.

“He was able to get a lot of touches, and guys were finding him,” Lakers coach Darvin Hamm said of Davis. “And his ability to get to the free-throw line and knock down free throws, it's just a matter of reading the game and seeing how things are going.”

Rajakovic seems to think the officials never gave his team a chance.

“They had to win tonight? If so, tell us so we won't be in the game,” Rajakovic said. “Just give them the win. But it wasn't fair tonight. This isn't the first time for us. Scotty Barnes would be.” [an] all Stars. “He's going to be the face of this league, and what happens here during the whole season, it's complete bullshit.”

Barnes scored 26 points Pascal Siakam He scored 25 goals for the Raptors, who lost for only the second time in five games since their victory R. J. Barrett And Immanuel Quickley From New York to OG Anunoby. Barrett scored 23 points, and Quickley scored 21 points with four three-pointers, but was fouled when he collided with an elbow. Cam is blushing In the face for a flagrant foul with 3:52 to play.

Barrett was called for an offensive foul that wiped out a 3-pointer from Barnes with 24.8 seconds to play.

Asked if he had been given an explanation for the offensive violation, Rajakovic replied: “No, there is no explanation.” He said officials will review the plays and “see what they want to see,” adding, “They don't hear us, what we have to say. They don't want to hear the players.”

“How are we supposed to play? It happens a lot, but I tell our players to be professional, keep fighting, and keep going for the next game. But until when? For how long?”

“They should have won tonight? If so, just tell us that, so we don't come to the game. Just give them the win. But it wasn't fair tonight. This wasn't a first for us.” “.

Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic

Free throws were relatively even through the first three quarters, 13 for Los Angeles and 11 for Toronto, before the Lakers' total ballooned in the fourth quarter.

LeBron JamesWhen asked about the discrepancy, he said: “I feel like they made a mistake and we didn’t.”

Rajakovic's rants will likely result in a hefty fine from the NBA, but his players seem to appreciate his verbal combative style.

“It just indicates that he represents all of us as a family and as a team,” he said. Thaddeus YoungWho scored 10 points as Toronto's starting center in place of the injured Jakob Poeltl. “We'll always be together. We'll always be behind each other as a family and as a team. We'll always be together, and he's always been behind us since day one we got here.” “We love Darko to death. We think about the world of a coach, and we certainly appreciate him going to bat for us.”

Information from ESPN's Dave McMenamin and the Associated Press is included in this report.