The Los Angeles Lakers are finding their rhythm on the road, and a lot of it comes down to letting their superstar guard do what he does best.
The Lakers knocked off the Chicago Bulls 129-118 on Monday night at the United Center, with Luka Dončić putting together one of his best performances of the season.
The Slovenian guard dropped 46 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds while drilling eight three-pointers, which marked a season-high from beyond the arc.
It was his eighth 40-point game this year and continued a stretch where he's been nearly unstoppable for Los Angeles.
After the game, head coach JJ Redick spoke about what it takes to get the most out of his star player.
"You have to be willing to live with the stuff that he tries," Redick said. "There's that creative element that he needs to thrive, and you gotta allow that. He's an engine that's fully on. And he likes to create out there, and that's a part of what makes him a great player."
Dončić's Creativity Carrying the Lakers
That creative element Redick mentioned was on full display against Chicago.
Dončić brought out multiple no-look passes, behind-the-back assists, and cross-court dishes that left defenders scrambling throughout the night.
When the Bulls made a run in the third quarter and cut the lead to just one point, Dončić responded by scoring 20 points in that period alone to keep Los Angeles in control.
LeBron James did his part too, scoring 20 of his 24 points in the first half to help build the early lead, and Rui Hachimura came off the bench for 23 points.
But it was clear that the night belonged to Dončić, who continues to show the kind of synergy with James that has this team believing they can make some noise in the Western Conference.
The win improved the Lakers to 28-17 on the season and gave them their third win in four games on this current eight-game road trip, which included a comeback victory against the Dallas Mavericks just days earlier.
Los Angeles has won four of their last five games and sits just a half-game behind the Houston Rockets for the fifth spot in the West.
Cavaliers Loom as Next Challenge
The Lakers will face their toughest test of the road trip on Wednesday when they travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers.
The Cavs sit at 28-20 and feature All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who just scored 45 points in a win over the Orlando Magic on Monday.
Adding to the difficulty is the fact that Los Angeles will once again be without Austin Reaves, who remains sidelined with a left calf strain that has kept him out since Christmas Day.
Reaves has missed 16 straight games now, though Redick has hinted he could return at some point during the road trip, possibly as early as Friday's game against the Washington Wizards.
The game also marks a homecoming for James, who spent parts of 11 seasons in Cleveland and led the franchise to its only championship in 2016.
With the 41-year-old superstar potentially playing his final game at Rocket Arena, it should make for a memorable night in Northeast Ohio.
If the Lakers want to keep the good times rolling against one of the East's best teams, they'll need Redick to keep trusting that creative engine of Dončić to stay fully on.
Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. EST.