Doncic reveals what made the team's 141-116 victory over the Atlanta Hawks so enjoyable despite playing through injury.
The Los Angeles Lakers were coming off a disappointing three-game losing streak and facing questions about whether their star guard would even be available to play.
Despite being listed as questionable with left groin soreness, Luka Dončić suited up on Tuesday night and helped lead the Lakers to a dominant 141-116 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at Crypto.com Arena.
The win snapped their skid and improved Los Angeles to 24-14 on the season, while Atlanta dropped to 20-22.
Playing on the second night of a back-to-back after dropping a frustrating loss to the Sacramento Kings just 24 hours earlier, the Lakers showed no signs of fatigue as they shot the lights out and shared the basketball beautifully throughout the contest.
The team led by as many as 32 points before the Hawks made a late push that ultimately fell short.
Luka Doncic Reveals Key to Lakers' Success
After the game, star guard Luka Dončić highlighted what led to such an enjoyable and dominant performance against Atlanta.
"Today was very fun," Dončić said in his postgame press conference. "We shared the ball great. We knocked down shots."
He also addressed his decision to play through the groin injury that nearly kept him out of the lineup, saying he simply wanted to be on the court for his teammates.
"For me, I want to play," Doncic explained. "Obviously, I wasn't feeling 100%, but in my head I always want to play."
Doncic finished the night with 27 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field, while knocking down 5-of-9 three-pointers for one of his best performances from beyond the arc in weeks.
He also dished out 12 assists and grabbed five rebounds in 33 minutes of action, recording his 14th double-double of the season despite battling through the nagging injury.
The shooting display was particularly impressive given that Dončić had struggled from three-point range during the losing streak, and the 55.5-percent clip from downtown was one of his best outings of the year from long range.
He got hot early by going 5-of-6 from three in the first half alone while scoring 23 points before halftime.
The Luka & LeBron Connection
LeBron James also stepped up in a big way by playing in his first back-to-back of the season and nearly recording a triple-double with 31 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds while shooting 12-of-20 from the field.
The 41-year-old superstar showed no signs of slowing down as he and Doncic combined for 58 points and 22 assists to lead the Lakers offense.
The connection between the two stars has been building over recent weeks, and this victory was another example of what they can accomplish when everyone is clicking.
Head coach JJ Redick has spoken about the real synergy happening between the duo, and Tuesday night's blowout win only added more evidence to support those claims.
Deandre Ayton also contributed to the effort with a bounceback performance after struggling in recent games, taking advantage of Atlanta's lack of interior presence throughout the night.
While the Lakers will need to monitor Doncic's health moving forward, the fact that he was able to deliver such an efficient and enjoyable performance while battling through discomfort is a good sign for Los Angeles as they try to build momentum in the Western Conference standings.
The Lakers now turn their attention to Thursday's contest against the Charlotte Hornets, where Doncic's availability will once again be worth watching.
For now, the team can enjoy a dominant victory that showcased exactly what this roster is capable of when the shots are falling and the ball is moving.