They talked about working hard and playing defence and maintaining intensity for 48 minutes and then the Toronto Raptors went out and did it.

Holding off the Los Angeles Lakers with Vince Carter in the locker room for the entire fourth quarter, the Raptors scored one of their more impressive victories of the season last night with an 89-86 triumph at the Staples Center.

As Jerome Williams played solid defence on Kobe Bryant for the fourth quarter and the front court of Keon Clark and Antonio Davis was dominant, the Raptors won their fourth game of the last five and began a three-game road trip in fine fashion.