The Los Angeles Lakers have become a juggernaut that few believed they could be. Even before the Luka Doncic trade went through, Los Angeles was well on its way to rewriting its reputation, making [profound improvements on defense](https://lakeshowlife.com/jarred-vanderbilt-resolving-lakers-most-pressing-concerns) and winning at a level that had it on pace to make the playoffs.
Since adding Doncic, however, the Lakers have presented the rest of the NBA with an unavoidable truth: Whether or not they're title favorites, they can beat any team they encounter.
This is in no way a guarantee that the Lakers will hang an 18th championship banner after the 2024-25 season. It is, however, a simple acknowledgment of how remarkable Los Angeles' advantage over its competitors truly is in a key area of emphasis.
That was on full display when the Lakers hosted the New York Knicks on Thursday, Mar. 7 in a game that ultimately ended 113-109 in Los Angeles' favor.
The Lakers played excellent defense, forcing the Knicks to shoot 39.4 percent from the field and 23.3 percent from beyond the arc. They also came up with 12 offensive rebounds, which is a significant increase from their season average of 9.6 per game.
The story of the win, however, is what teams around the NBA were afraid would happen: Doncic and LeBron James looked the part of an incomparably dominant duo.
Luka Doncic, LeBron James can match up against any superstar duo
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Doncic finished the win over the Knicks with 32 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds, and four steals. He also buried four three-point field goals en route to his second consecutive game with at least 30 points and 12 assists.
Not to be outdone by his co-star, James went off to the tune of 31 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and a block in a game-high 44 minutes played.
For those keeping track at home, Doncic and James combined for 63 points, 20 assists, 19 rebounds, four steals, and a block. They did so against a 40-22 Knicks team that is currently in possession of the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The most terrifying truth of all is that everything that Doncic and James did against New York is something fans have seen them do dozens of times over.
Doncic has now produced at least 30 points and 10 assists in 84 different regular-season games during his illustrious NBA career. James, meanwhile, has 156 games during which he's tallied upward of 30 points and 10 rebounds.
Doncic also boasts career averages of 28.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists, while James checks in at 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.
Other star duos can match Doncic and James in their own unique ways, but no team has a one-two punch quite as powerful on the offensive end of the floor. It's an unavoidable truth that will give the Lakers a chance no matter who they encounter in the playoffs.
Compounded by the facts that Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals and James is a four-time NBA champion, it's safe to believe the Lakers' new dynamic duo can get the job done in any environment.
If the supporting cast [continues to step up](https://lakeshowlife.com/dalton-knecht-proves-once-save-lakers-weakest-group), consider Los Angeles a championship favorite, indeed.