On Friday night, the Los Angeles Lakers took down the Indiana Pacers at Crypto.com Arena. LA led for over 80% of the game, and survived a late Indiana rally to come away with an 11-point victory. 

The story of the game was Luka Doncic, who finished with 44 points on 56/50/90% shooting splits. He also logged nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks. It was one of the best games of the entire season for number 77. 

After the game, JJ Redick met with the media to discuss the contest. He was asked about the most impressive part of Luka's evening, and his answer was definitive. 

"Some ridiculous shot-making," Redick said. "And a lot of ridiculous shot-making against really good defenders. I think he just really imposed his will, took control of the game early, and gave us a cushion." 

That's the mindset you want out of your superstar player. Particularly when you're playing against inferior competition, it's important to impose your will on the game and be aggressive early on. Doing so puts you on the offensive and leaves your opponent on their toes. 

"We knew it was going to be a game that they were going to go on some runs, and we were able to sustain those," Redick said. As he noted, It's these kinds of games where having an unstoppable offensive engine comes in particularly handy. 

JJ also touched on how Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith are as good as anyone in the league when it comes to on-ball defense. He lauded Luka's effort against those guys and noted how he countered their approach near-seamlessly. 

Of course, this is coming from a coach who saw elite perimeter defense up close all throughout his playing career. Nembhard and Nesmith are the kind of defenders that give even the best scorers in the league genuine problems. The fact that Luka carved them up the way he did speaks to what his overall impact is right now. 

This is a very encouraging sign for Laker Nation as we approach the final month of the regular season. Some fans may still have their issues with Doncic, but there's not much you can say about his aggression and offensive tactics at the moment. 

That's how you want to feel about watching your franchise superstar at this point in the season. In a matchup like this one against a lottery team, you look for Luka to dominate each individual matchup, and it's precisely what he did. 

The Lakers are entering the final stretch of the regular season with one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the entire NBA firing on all cylinders, and the rest of the Western Conference would be wise to take notice.