EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — There was an interesting revelation 90 minutes before the Los Angeles Lakers played the Toronto Raptors.

In a season of mishaps and misfortune, what stood out to Lakers coach Frank Vogel as the No. 1 frustration?

Too many large deficits, he told reporters. It messes with the players’ psyches, he added.

As if on cue, the Lakers went out and trailed Toronto by 24 points in the first quarter on Monday at Crypto.com Arena. Not surprisingly, the Lakers lost, 114-103, continuing their slide since the All-Star break.

LA’s defense wasn’t the main culprit for the deficit. It was a slow-starting offense that shot only 26% in the first half and experienced too many lulls between buckets.

The Lakers made a late run to pull within nine points in the final two minutes, but Talen Horton-Tucker and Wayne EIlington missed three-point shots on consecutive possessions to end the rally.

The Lakers (29-39) fell to 2-8 since the All-Star break and saw their lead shrink to one game over New Orleans for ninth place in the Western Conference.

“Just another slow start, second game in a row, just can’t put the ball in the basket,” said Vogel afterward. “Our offense is putting us in a tough spot.”

Monday’s loss came a day after the Lakers fell to the Phoenix Suns, 140-111. In that one, they surrendered a 48-point first quarter.

LeBron James continued to score efficiently, totaling 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting. He also played 40 minutes in a season filled with many high-minute outings for the 37-year-old.

James didn’t talk to reporters after the game, a rarity in his 19-year career. He did it one other time this season, later explaining to media members that he didn’t trust what he would have said to them, presumably because he was irritated by a Lakers loss at the time.

It’s pointless to predict why James didn’t grant a post-game interview Monday, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he was frustrated, exhausted or both.

Russell Westbrook had a quiet game, collecting 14 points and four assists in 35 minutes. He couldn’t find any reason for the continual slow starts.

“I’m not sure. I don’t have an answer for you on that one,” Westbrook said after the Lakers fell to 10-25 against teams with winning records.

Center Dwight Howard didn’t play against Toronto because of a personal matter. The Lakers missed his presence and were out-rebounded badly, 64-43.

Toronto showed more balanced scoring than the Lakers and had three players with at least 20 points — Gary Trent Jr. (28 points), Pascal Siakam (27) and Scottie Barnes (21).

The Lakers now hit the road for four games, which is not a good thing. They’ve lost 10 consecutive road games.

Their first opponent on the trip, Minnesota, received 60 points from Karl Anthony-Towns in a 149-139 victory Monday over San Antonio.