EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — What an avalanche. A deluge of points for the short-handed Lakers when they needed them. 

The Lakers simply could not miss in the first half and led by as many as 34 points in a 110-101 victory Tuesday over the Toronto Raptors. Yes, a 34-point lead. In the first half.

It helps to make 13 three-point shots in the first two quarters, a new twist for a team that was tied for 23rd in the league behind the arc before Tuesday.

The Lakers looked nothing like the team that scored a season-low 86 points two days earlier against the Clippers. It was not any particular player leading the way against Toronto, more of a team effort from the reserves to the unheralded starters.

Talen Horton-Tucker scored 17 points, and Markieff Morris added 15. Marc Gasol has moved in and out of the starting lineup lately but was steady Tuesday with 13 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocked shots.

Every Lakers player hit a 3-point shot except Devontae Cacok, who’s never attempted one in his career, and Montrezl Harrell, who probably would have tried a three-pointer but wasn’t around long enough to even consider it.

Harrell was ejected in the first quarter after doing some pushing and shoving while coming to the defense of Dennis Schröder.

Toronto swingman OG Anunoby started the scuffle by upending Schröder with a piledriver-type move that would get the attention of any pro wrestler. Schröder was not exactly thrilled and neither was Harrell, who logged all of two minutes before being tossed out of the game, along with Anunoby.

At any rate, the Lakers (32-19) scored 68 points in the first half and continued their trend of beating teams below them in the standings, adding Toronto to a recent list that also included Cleveland, Orlando, and Sacramento.

This is important because the Lakers’ next nine games are against teams that would currently make the playoffs: Miami, Brooklyn, New York, and Charlotte on the road before home games against Boston, Utah (twice), and Dallas (twice).

It helped that Toronto played without its dynamic starting backcourt of Kyle Lowry (foot infection) and Fred Van Vleet (sore hip). Of course, the Lakers were short-staffed, too, without LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Andre Drummond. 

The Lakers’ defense could not be ignored Tuesday, holding Toronto comfortably below its average of 112 points. The Raptors shot only 39.6% as a team. Gary Trent Jr. had played well recently but made only four of 15 attempts Tuesday and was indicative of Toronto’s woes.

The Lakers had a good day off the court too, signing guard Ben McLemore to round out their roster.

McLemore provides scoring depth as a reserve and can also get hot from three-point range. He made seven threes in one of his last games for Houston before requesting a contract buyout. He was erratic from deep this season (33%) but was 40% in his previous two years.

The seventh overall pick in the 2013 draft, McLemore could play for the Lakers on Thursday in Miami.