Lakers Surge to No. 2 in West Behind Luka Doncic’s Big Night

Here come the Lakers.

Luka Doncic scored 29 points en route to LA defeating the Los Angeles Clippers by a score of 108-102. Doncic had one of his best shooting days since being traded to his new team. He went 9-of-17 from the field (5-12 from three-point range) in the win. Aside from leading the Lakers in scoring, he also accrued six rebounds, nine assists, and two steals.

LeBron James chipped in with 17 points. Down Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and Jordan Goodwin to injury, Dalton Knecht stepped up and scored 19 points off the bench (5-of-8 from beyond the arc). Jarred Vanderbilt had 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks in only 22 minutes.

The win now puts LA in the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference mere percentage points ahead of the Denver Nuggets. While the Lakers are looking to secure home court advantage, a bigger story has emerged over the last six weeks.

The Lakers are 18-4 in their last 22 games. This is the best mark in the NBA over this time. The team has also not lost to anyone with an above .500 record since mid-January. On January 13th, the Lakers had a 20-17 record. Fast-forward to the beginning of March, and LA sits behind OKC with a 38-21 overall mark.

While catching OKC for the No. 1 seed is virtually impossible, the Lakers still have plenty of room to get even better than they’ve been — and that’s all due to Doncic.

We have yet to see the best of Doncic unleashed. He’s still getting his feet under him from a conditioning standpoint. The timing and chemistry with his teammates will continue to evolve positively as the year progresses. This team is not only extremely well-coached, but they play very hard — and there’s a level of humility and unselfishness you don’t often see from an NBA squad.

The rest of the NBA should take notice of the Lakers looking ahead to the postseason. While the team lacks an elite big man, the depth on the roster is very good — and the plethora of jumbo wings coupled with three elite shot-creators make them a very difficult team to play against.