Los Angeles Lakers Guard Luka Doncic had a night to remember against the Miami Heat.
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat on the road on Thursday largely thanks to a 60-point outburst by Luka Doncic.
The effort came after a 40-point performance helped lift the Lakers to a 124-116 win over the Houston Rockets the night before. It was also the highest scoring game of Doncic’s Lakers tenure. Afterward, he talked about his night and how he was able to muster the energy to make it happen with Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet.
Finding a Way
“I don't know,” Doncic said. “I was tired. I was tired. But, you know, that shows the team. We kind of played bad in the first half. We struggled. But we came back.
“You know, this talks a lot about the team. It says a lot. So, a great win.”
It was also the first 60-point game by a Laker since Kobe Bryant's final game on April 13, 2016.
3-Pointer Falling
Doncic was able to achieve the feat on 30 shots; 18 of which he hit for a 60% shooting clip. He also made 9-17 3-point attempts (52.9%) while grabbing five steals. In the game against the Rockets, he hit 41.2% of his attempts from the perimeter. Doncic has been in a rhythm lately which he partially credits to his shots from beyond the arc going in.
“Yeah, I feel like my three ball is going well, and then I'm attacking a lot in the paint. So just trying to read the game, you know.”
The night belonged to Doncic, but he was hardly alone in his effort to help the Lakers win. LeBron James logged a triple-double that consisted of 19 points on 66.7% shooting, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. The 41-year-old in his 23rd season put together the performance after notching 30 points in the win over the Rockets while missing just one of his 14 field goal attempts.
Crediting the King
“Great,” Doncic said of James’ performance. “I mean, like I said yesterday, you know, without him, we don't win. So, the way he's playing, it's incredible to see and incredible to watch.”
The Lakers are no winners of eight-straight games, with half of them coming against teams that look destined for the postseason. Doncic credited the group’s resiliency, especially against the Heat.
Evaluating the Winning Streak
“I mean, it's very impressive,” Doncic said. “I know a lot of people didn't get a lot of sleep yesterday, and we come here, you know, we fight. We fight until the end and win the game. It says a lot, like I said.
“Just an incredible win. We've got to keep going.”
Doncic’s scoring numbers have taken an exponential leap from February to March. In February, he averaged 27 points over nine games while shooting 43.8% from the field. Through 11 games in March, he is averaging 37.2 points while shooting 50.2% from the field. Beyond his 60-point performance, he also has a 51-point performance and two 40-plus point performances.