Luke’s magic strikes again
How do you qualify for a triple-double with 45 points? “It’s just Luca’s magic” he replied LeBron James in the Lakers locker room. “There’s nothing surprising. It’s funny . . .”
Facing Jazzthe best scorer in the NBA therefore confirmed this status with 45 points, but also added 11 rebounds and 14 assists. It’s one of the biggest triple-doubles of his career, and he adds 5 steals! Only one other player has achieved such a feat in history, and that Cade Cunningham this season.
“Honestly, I think I can do more” coward Dončićbefore pointing to another column. “But that one turnover, that’s probably the best stat on the list. We ended up with just seven turnovers, which is impressive for us. And in the end we won the game, that’s what matters. But I think we really locked in mentally in the second half. We did a really good job.”
Big help in the last quarter
Facing an unapologetic Jazz team, Doncic held the house on his own for a long time, using his great connection with Jackson Hayes. Even a very serious technical foul didn’t disturb him, and in the last quarter he got a helping hand from LeBron and then Marcus Smart to finish the affair.
“I just tried to play my game. My teammates helped me a lot” he confirms. “The ‘second unit’ with LeBron really made a difference. Wando, Maxie… who else came in? Jake… All these guys coming off the bench with energy, it lifts everything up. If they don’t play like that, we don’t win this game.”
Obviously, not forgetting Marcus Smart. “He was great, really great! His defensive intensity helps us a lot offensively. He drew a few fouls, but other than that he was very good.”
An almost perfect evening for the Lakers, who have a record of 12 wins and 3 losses away from home, while Doncic rises to the rank of the best scorers with an average of 35.2 points!
2025-12-19 07:15:00
