Luka Dončić Torches Clippers in Lakers’ Sixth Straight Win

Summary:

• Luka Dončić scored 29 points and taunted defenders, leading the LA Lakers to a 108-102 win against the LA Clippers.
• Just shy of 50,000 career points, LeBron James hit a crucial three to hold off a Clippers comeback.
• The Lakers’ sixth consecutive win pushes them to second in the Western Conference at 38-21.

In Sunday’s Los Angeles Lakers game against the Clippers, Luka Dončić was fully locked in. He finished the night with 29 points, six rebounds, and nine assists, leading JJ Redick’s team to a 108-102 victory.

Right off the bat, the 26-year-old Slovenian made his presence felt, sprinting up the left side of the court, baiting Ivica Zubac into a switch, and confidently launching a three-pointer from deep, sinking it as he turned toward the Clippers’ bench.

His impressive shot appeared to barely graze the backboard before dropping in and was soon followed by many others, all followed by the same word exchange words with the opposing bench, letting them know exactly who was in control.

At one point, Amir Coffey was tasked with guarding him. However, it didn’t truly matter, as Dončić drained another triple, taunting the Clippers to put someone in front of him who could actually get the job done.

Even Kris Dunn, one of the Clippers’ best defenders, wasn’t immune. Dončić buried another deep three over him and let out what appeared to be a few choice words for any Clipper, still believing they had a shot at stopping him.

Sixth Straight Win and 12th in 14 Games for the Lakers

With Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Jordan Goodwin on the sidelines, the Lakers were missing firepower and relied on their stars to step up, and this is exactly what Dončić did.

In what was their fourth game at Crypto.com Arena in six nights, he carried the Lakers past their crosstown rivals in a hard-fought victory.

Despite recent struggles against Dallas and Minnesota and an up-and-down performance against the Clippers on Friday, where he still dropped 31, Dončić found his rhythm when it mattered most.

His impact was undeniable. The Lakers were plus-19 in his minutes, second only to Dorian Finney-Smith, who dominated the plus/minus column at plus-24.

The victory marked the Lakers’ sixth straight win and their 12th in the last 14 games, pushing them to 38-21 and securing the second spot in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, LeBron James sat just 18 points shy of reaching 50,000 combined career points, including both regular season and playoffs.

He came up just short with 17, but his final three were crucial, stemming the Clippers’ rally after they had slashed a 21-point deficit to just five.

Three consecutive offensive rebounds extended the possession before James drilled a corner three, reestablishing the Lakers’ control.

The Clippers (32-28) kept fighting, eager to even the NBA season series, but not even Kawhi Leonard’s season-high 33 points could save them from falling short.