Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic delivered one of his most complete performances of the season Friday night, and the stat line only told part of the story.
Doncic recorded a triple-double before halftime as the Los Angeles Lakers built a massive early lead and never looked back in a 142-111 win over the Washington Wizards, per ESPN. He finished the night with 37 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds, but the milestone came early. By the end of the second quarter, Doncic already had 26 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds, with the final rebound arriving in the closing seconds of the half.
The Lakers entered the locker room up 77-48, and the game stayed out of reach the rest of the way. According to Sportradar, the last time a player posted a first-half triple-double was Dec. 5, when Jalen Johnson accomplished the feat for the Atlanta Hawks.
The night also featured moments from across the roster. LeBron James scored 20 points and energized the crowd with multiple dunks, including a left-handed alley-oop in the first half. Fans later chanted for his son to enter the game, and Bronny James eventually checked in late in the fourth quarter and finished a breakaway dunk of his own.
Luka’s Message After a Statement Performance
After the win, Doncic was asked about the growing number of young players who study his game and try to model themselves after his style. His response focused less on skill and more on mindset.
“I’m bad at advices, guys,” Doncic said in his postgame interview. “If that’s fun, obviously you gotta work very hard to get here. It’s not gonna be easy. A lot of people are gonna stay in your way, but if you really want this, you gotta enjoy it and you gotta focus really hard on it.”
The advice came on a night when Doncic once again controlled the pace from start to finish. Despite entering the game listed as questionable with ankle soreness after an awkward landing earlier in the week, he started and showed no visible limitations as the Lakers dictated the flow early.
The performance reinforced why he remains firmly in the MVP conversation, particularly with the ease he created scoring chances for both himself and teammates during the opening half.
Oh No He Didn't
Luka’s advice to the young guys that study his game:
“I’m bad at advices guys. If that’s fun obviously you gotta work very hard to get here. It’s not gonna be easy. A lot of people are gonna stay in your way but if you really want this you gotta enjoy it and you gotta focus
Wizards Short-Handed on Night of Back-to-Back
Washington entered the matchup coming off an emotional win over the Milwaukee Bucks on John Wall Celebration Night but struggled to match the Lakers’ energy on the second night of a back-to-back, MSN reports.
Injuries played a major role, most notably Tre Johnson’s ankle sprain. Bub Carrington started in his place and provided a bright spot, finishing with 15 points, four made three-pointers on eight attempts, six assists, and two steals. Turnovers proved costly, however, as Carrington committed five in the loss.
Deandre Ayton led the Wizards with 28 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 12-of-14 from the field, but the deficit was too large to overcome. The Lakers shot 61 percent overall and maintained control throughout.
With Austin Reaves still sidelined due to a calf injury, the Lakers leaned heavily on Doncic’s playmaking, and he delivered early, then coasted late. The result was a dominant win paired with a simple message for the next generation: enjoy the grind, stay focused, and understand the work it takes to reach this level.