Doncic shares his mindset heading into a grueling 15-day journey on the road.
If the Los Angeles Lakers needed a confidence boost before embarking on one of their toughest stretches of the season, Sunday night's 110-93 win over the Toronto Raptors at Crypto.com Arena was exactly what the doctor ordered.
More importantly, star guard Luka Doncic made it clear that he's looking forward to what comes next, even with an eight-game, 15-day road trip looming ahead.
Doncic Sends Message Ahead of Road Trip
When asked about the upcoming grind after the game, Doncic didn't blink.
"We're getting paid to do this. Shouldn't be any excuses," Doncic said. "I know it's going to be a lot of traveling, but we're getting paid to do this. I love it."
That kind of mentality is exactly what the Lakers need right now.
With stops in Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Cleveland, and Washington on the schedule, this trip could make or break their season, and Doncic sounds like someone ready to embrace the challenge rather than complain about it.
How the Lakers Got It Done
Doncic looked sharp in his return after sitting out Saturday's loss in Portland, pouring in 25 points on five made threes while dishing out seven assists.
LeBron James matched that energy with 24 points and seven assists of his own, but the real story was Deandre Ayton, who came back from a knee injury and absolutely dominated with 25 points and 13 rebounds on a perfect 10-for-10 shooting night.
The win pushed Los Angeles to 25-16, keeping them in sixth place out West, while Toronto dropped to 25-19.
Scottie Barnes did his best to keep the Raptors in it with 22 points and nine boards, but once James rattled off back-to-back buckets to open the fourth quarter and push the lead to 91-80, the game was essentially over.
A Tough Road Ahead
The problem is that the Lakers have only won two of their last seven, and they're about to face a Denver team that's still dangerous even without Nikola Jokic.
Austin Reaves remains out with a calf strain, which puts even more weight on the shoulders of Doncic and James.
Head coach JJ Redick called this "a very tough time of year for everybody in the NBA right now," and he's not wrong.
But the chemistry between Doncic and LeBron has been clicking lately, and if that duo can keep finding each other, this road trip might not be as scary as it looks on paper.