Luka Doncic, Lakers
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Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against Max Christie #00 of the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.
It’s not every day that Luka Doncic is instrumental in creating defensive stops to script a Los Angeles Lakers victory. But that’s exactly what happened Saturday when the Slovenian helped the Lakers go on a stunning 29-8 run in the final 7:41 of the game to overcome his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, with a 116-110 win.
Doncic, who leads the NBA in scoring, also produced his usual offensive numbers — 33 points and 11 assists — but it was his clutch defense that sealed victory for the Lakers. The exclamation point came with 41.8 seconds left in the game when Doncic took a charge to draw an offensive foul on Naji Marshall. Not surprisingly, Doncic was a game-high +18 on the floor, helping the Lakers overcome a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Luka Doncic Targeted on Defense
In the final few possessions of Saturday’s game, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd drew up plays to hunt Luka Doncic in pick-and-roll scenarios, following the lead of many of his peers who’ve adopted a similar strategy against the Lakers. However, Kidd’s strategy backfired as Doncic held his own and scripted six consecutive defensive stops.
“We counted after the game, he had six straight stops where they targeted him,” JJ Redick said of Doncic, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Just a fantastic job from him. Then [he] makes the game-sealing defensive play with the charge on [Naji] Marshall.”
Doncic admitted that he had more juice in the tank as he returned to the venue where he enjoyed seven years’ worth of memories before being traded to the Lakers.
“It’s a special place,” Doncic said of Dallas. “I mean, I’m always going to want to win no matter what. Every game I want to win, but obviously this one’s a little bit different.”
LeBron James Praises Luka Doncic
LeBron James also had a lot of praise for Doncic, calling his fourth-quarter defense “sensational” in his postgame news conference.
The veteran forward also praised the growth in Doncic’s game and for embracing his status as the new franchise player of the Lakers.
“A new level to his game, I think the most important is just his comfort,” James said of his young Slovenian peer.
“…I think the biggest thing this year is he’s just a little bit more comfortable. Understanding the system, understanding the city, the city embracing him. I understand that this is his team. We’re all rallying around him. Obviously, we know it’s an emotional and big game. When you come back and play your former team. And he showed why he is who he is right now.”
The Lakers (27-17), who’ve won three of their last four games, will continue their annual “Grammy Road Trip” with stops against the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 26, the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 28, the Washington Wizards on Jan. 30, the New York Knicks on Feb. 1 and finally the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 3. In positive news, the Lakers could have star guard Austin Reaves back as early as Wednesday’s game against the Cavaliers after he suffered a grade 2 calf strain against the Rockets on Christmas Day.