Luka Doncic, Austin Reeves combine for an offensive explosion
The Los Angeles Lakers improved to 9-4 on the season, and 2-0 in NBA playoffs following their 118-104 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. In the Lakers win, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves continued to claim to be the best duo in the NBA as both players combined for 55 points in the penultimate game of the team’s current road trip.
Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 31 points, while Luka Doncic dropped 24 points against the Pelicans. Reeves also added four rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one blocked shot in just over 38 minutes. Dončić added seven rebounds, 12 assists, two steals and one block in just over 40 minutes of play.
The Lakers have been without LeBron James for the start of the season as he recovers from a nerve injury, however, signs point to James getting closer to returning to the court amid workouts with the team’s G League affiliate South Bay Lakers. But in the meantime, Reeves and Doncic did an amazing job of stepping up and leading the team in James’ absence.
Both players also dealt with early injuries, and Reaves recently returned to the lineup after suffering a groin injury. In Doncic’s case, he also had a finger and foot problem that caused him to miss five games.
Entering Friday’s game against the Pelicans, Doncic had appeared in eight games, logging just over 36 minutes per game. He averaged 34.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.8 steals on 47.6 percent shooting from the field, 30.8 percent from the three-point line and 77.5 percent from the free throw line.
With Reaves, he appeared in nine games with only about 36 minutes per game. He averaged 28.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 47 percent from the field, 30.3 percent from the three-point line and 87.6 percent from the free throw line. It’s been a career year for Reaves so far, which includes a career-high 51 points last month.
The Lakers have one game left on the road Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks. They return home next week on Tuesday, November 18 against the Utah Jazz.
2025-11-15 04:39:00
