Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant reacts to a whistle shortly after turning over the ball against the Toronto Raptors in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. It was Bryant's first game back after a torn left Achilles tendon injury on April 12, and the Raptors won 106-94. Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, left, dribbles the ball as he is defended by Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. It was Bryant's first game back after a torn left Achilles tendon injury. Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant leans over onto teammate Steve Blake's lap next to assistant coach Dan D'Antoni, right, as they watch Shawne Williams make a three-pointer against the Toronto Raptors in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. It was Bryant's first game back after a torn left Achilles tendon injury and the Raptors won 106-94. Vanessa Bryant, right, wife of Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, sits with their daughters Natalia Diamante Bryant, left, and Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, center, as the Lakers play the Toronto Raptors in an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant dribbles the ball as Toronto Raptors' Amir Johnson, left, defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. LOS ANGELES (AP) - After nearly eight months of recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, Kobe Bryant is back on the court for the Los Angeles Lakers. He's confident his game will soon join him. Bryant had nine points and eight rebounds in his season debut, but Amir Johnson scored a career-high 32 points for the trade-depleted Toronto Raptors in a 106-94 victory over Los Angeles on Sunday night. With waves of cheers washing over him from opening warm-ups, Bryant acknowledged a bit of a struggle to keep his composure when he finally stepped back onto the same hardwood where he got hurt April 12. Although Bryant is proud of his perseverance through months of rehabilitation, he's more grateful to be back in competition - even when it doesn't turn out well. "I think the last time I had eight months off, I was still in the womb," he said. It felt good to get out there. Coming back from what could be a career altering injury, the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history returned in time for Los Angeles' 20th game of the new season, only to struggle with his shot, his timing and his new teammates. But this is a start, and I guess a start is good. ... I don't feel normal at all. I couldn't wait to start watching the film and criticizing every little thing. Adoring fans cheered Kobe's every move and forgave every misstep, but Bryant couldn't rally the Lakers late against a short-handed opponent that hadn't beaten the Lakers on the road in nearly 12 years. Bryant was touched by the fans' reception and his teammates' encouragement, although his ruthless competitive nature chafed against his emotions before the opening tip. "I finally got to see what Showtime is all about," said Young, who joined the Lakers in the summer. This is my first time out there with him, and I definitely deferred to him a lot and looked for him a lot. That's what the fans wanted. The whole thing was about Kobe tonight. But the Lakers never led, and Toronto improbably snapped its five-game losing streak despite playing without forward Rudy Gay, who is expected to be traded to Sacramento on Monday as the centerpiece of an apparent seven-player deal. " (Bryant) was a little rusty, and you could tell because a lot of his shots were short," said Toronto's DeMar DeRozan, who grew up in Los Angeles watching Kobe. The building had the buzz of a playoff game before the opening tip, with thousands of fans training cameras on Bryant during opening warm-ups.