LOS ANGELES -- Before and after Sunday's game, Toronto coach Dwane Casey bemoaned the problems created by the loss of forward Patrick Patterson to a knee injury on Thursday night in Phoenix.

The Raptors would be "searching for the right combinations" on the floor without Patterson, Casey said.

He has one winning combination for sure.

Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined for 72 points as the Raptors became the latest team to take advantage of the fading Los Angeles Lakers in a 123-114 victory at Staples Center.

Lowry led all scorers with 41 points as the Raptors (23-10) avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season. He was 12 of 16 from the field (6 of 7 from 3-point range) and 11 of 11 on free throws while adding seven assists and nine rebounds.

"They have some All-Star Olympians that really carried the load for them tonight," Lakers coach Luke Walton said.

The Lakers, meanwhile, continued their trend of fading late in games. They led midway through the third quarter but wound up losing for the 15th time since the beginning of December. After a surprising 10-10 start, they have gone 2-15.

Nick Young was one bright spot for the Lakers. He went 7 of 9 from 3-point range while scoring 26 points. In his past eight games, Young has hit 36 of 64 3-point shots, the most 3-pointers made in an eight-game stretch by any player in Lakers history.

"He has been great for us," Walton said. "What I'm really proud of with Nick is a lot of his shots are coming in the flow of the game.

"Every once in awhile ... he feels like all shooters do -- they want to just get the ball off their hands and up. But his stuff is coming out of DHO (dribble handoffs) and whatnot."

The Lakers also rediscovered some muscle on their bench. Tarik Black played for the first time in seven games because of an ankle injury and combined with Thomas Robinson for 21 points and 18 rebounds.

But the Lakers found it difficult to hold a lead. DeRozan helped the Raptors erase one late in the first half. He drew a flagrant-1 foul on Timofey Mozgov in the last minute before halftime and hit the free throws as part of a 26-13 finish to the half that gave Toronto a 58-57 lead at intermission.

The seesaw tipped in Los Angeles' favor again for the final time during the first half of the third quarter. A D'Angelo Russell 3-pointer gave them a 72-66 lead with just over seven minutes left in the quarter.

But DeRozan again played leading man in a Raptors burst. He scored nine points in the final four minutes of the quarter as Toronto regained the lead for the final time heading into the fourth quarter.

The Raptors took firm control with a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter and extended their lead to 17 points at one point with Lowry scoring 20 points in the quarter.

"I thought he took us down the stretch and really carried us home in a big-time way offensively," Casey said.

The Lakers' latest fourth-quarter fade was fueled by 2-of-11 shooting from the field to start the quarter. But Russell warmed up down the stretch.

The second-year guard has struggled since returning from a platelet-rich plasma injection in his left knee in late November. In his first 10 games since returning, he shot just 35 percent from the field and averaged 12.6 points.

But Russell had his best game since a 32-point night against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 15. He tried to breathe late life into the Lakers with 14 fourth-quarter points, finishing with a team-high 28.

"He did a great job," Lakers forward Julius Randle said of Russell. "I just told him to be aggressive. I feel like he's been a little too hesitant with his shot, thinking a little too much."

NOTES: Raptors coach Dwane Casey held F Patrick Patterson out of Sunday's game. Patterson left the game in Phoenix on Thursday in the first half with a strained left knee. He is averaging 7.8 points and 5.6 rebounds this season. ... Lakers assistant coach Mark Madsen rejoined the team for Saturday's practice. He underwent an emergency appendectomy on Tuesday. ... C Ivica Zubac was recalled from the NBA's D-League and added to the Lakers' roster. The 7-foot-1 Zubac has averaged 16.6 points and 9.5 rebounds in 10 games with the Los Angeles D-Fenders this season. ... Lakers F Larry Nance Jr. sat out with a bone bruise in his left knee.