Luka Doncic showed signs of rediscovering his form in the Lakers’ victory over the Nuggets on Saturday night, as written by Jovan Buha of The Athletic. And boy oh boy, Los Angeles really needed it.
After a challenging start to his Lakers tenure, Dioncic erupted for 16 points in the first quarter and finished with a stat line of 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. It snapped a nine-game winning streak by the Nuggets, who have dominated LA in recent seasons.
LeBron James praised Doncic intense focus during the game, noting that the 24-year-old was “super dialed in.”
“Once he started hitting those step-back threes and got to yelling and barking, either at the fans or at us or himself…he was just locked in,” James said.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick had challenged Doncic before the game to show his fiery competitiveness, urging him to “at least one blackout episode,” a moment where Doncic would scream “at no one in particular.” The challenge seemed to pay off, as Doncic took charge of the offense, often targeting Denver’s Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in pick-and-roll scenarios.
Moving forward, Redick indicated that keeping the ball in Dončić’s hands will be a priority.
“Luka needs to be the guy that controls the offense,” Redick said. “(James) and (Austin Reaves) will have their time on the ball, but all three of those guys are very intelligent basketball players, and we can create mismatches.”
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