Kobe Bryant denied victory after eight-month absence

Kobe Bryant was denied a comeback victory after an eight-month absence as the Los Angeles Lakers were beaten 106-94 by the Toronto Raptors at the Staples Centre on Sunday night.

Amir Johnson sparkled for the visitors as he scored a career-high 32 points, while Los Angeles-native and teammate DeMar DeRozan added 26 points and Kyle Lowry scored 23 to help secure the win.

The spotlight was on Bryant as he made his return from an Achilles' tendon injury picked up last April, but it may be a night the player will want to forget.

He finished with nine points on 2-for-9 shooting, eight rebounds, four assists and eight turnovers in 28 minutes of play for the hosts.

The Raptors are second in the Atlantic Division following their victory with a record of 7-12 for the season.