LOS ANGELES—The pass travelled 20 metres or more, delivered over the heads of a couple of defenders and right on the money.

Kyle Lowry had let heave because he knew what Pascal Siakam could do and where he would be. Siakam hauled the pass in and converted a layup that highlighted his contribution to the Raptors’ 101-92 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

“It’s on me to put it on a spot, and he catches and finishes it,” Lowry said after the game. “I don’t care if he drops it. I’m going to keep throwing it because I know what he can do, I know he’s going to be there and he’s going to play hard. He doesn’t try to do too much.

“He’s a talented kid.”

Siakam, a second-year forward, has been something of a revelation in Toronto’s last two games, part of a six-game road trip that continues Monday night in Portland.

Buried on the bench for the season’s first three outings behind rookie OG Anunoby and Lucas Nogueira, Siakam was pressed into action when Nogueira joined Jonas Valanciunas on the sidelines with a bum ankle.

Siakam had a career-high 20 points in a loss at Golden State on Wednesday in his first start, and then dropped 18 points on the Lakers while grabbling five rebounds. He is active and quick and runs the floor like a gazelle, a perfect antidote when the injuries mount up.

“You gotta commend them guys for being ready and putting in the work,” said DeMar DeRozan, who led Toronto with 24 points against the Lakers. “Whenever their names are called, they are ready and it shows out there on the court.”

The question is going to be when, and how often, Siakam’s name will be called when the Raptors get back to full strength. Valanciunas is hoping to play Monday in Portland, Nogueira should get back as quickly as he can if he wants to stay in the rotation, and the coaches are impressed with the overall skills of Anunoby, who is probably a better passer than Siakam.

It could leave Siakam as the odd man out or, at best, the 11th man in a rotation that would be about one man too big.

“The guys manage it themselves, guys that perform will get the minutes,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said before Friday’s game. “(Siakam has) been up and down but (Wednesday’s) game was really, really special the way he played. He’ll determine the minutes when everyone gets healthy and comes back and it just adds another young talented piece to our group that’s capable of coming and getting the job done if need be.”

Siakam doesn’t ever seem to be outwardly concerned about the distribution of minutes. He started the first 38 games of last season as a rookie before ceding his spot to Serge Ibaka, but coaches and teammates lauded his professionalism in handling the demotion then and his work ethic over the summer.

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“Pascal has one of the best motors in the NBA,” Lowry said. “Last year we had great synergy to start the season off. It tailed off when he stopped playing in the last month but he’s been professional.

“He comes in to work even if he hasn’t been playing very much. He does his work, and the last two games he’s been unbelievable.”

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