The Lakers gutted out a tough 100-92 road win in Houston on Monday night to give themselves a bit of cushion for third place in the Western Conference. It was L.A.’s sixth win in a row and ninth in 10 games. However, there are many around the sport who are still reluctant to call them contenders, but the evidence is getting impossible to ignore.
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The Lakers are now one game up in the loss column on the Rockets and two up on both the Wolves and Nuggets. And not only has the defense improved, but JJ Redick finally has a healthy group. He’s also getting contributions up and down the roster.
It all starts with Luka Doncic, who dropped another 36 against the Rockets. This was the sixth straight game in which he scored 30 or more, and his 52nd 30-point game as a Laker. That’s a truly ridiculous stat considering he just got to town last February. Lakers legend James Worthy couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the graphic on the postgame show.
“I just want to clarify something,” said Worthy. “That’s as a Laker?”
All Worthy could do was laugh uncontrollably and spin in his chair when it was confirmed. Luka has played just 84 games in his Laker career, and he has scored 30 or more points just under 62% of the time.
Worthy, who played in 926 games in his pro career, all with the Lakers, ruefully said, “It took me 14 years. He got his in a year and a half.”
What’s hilarious in Worthy’s statement is that his career lasted only 12 years. Luka’s unbelievable scoring output threw him for such a loop that he forgot how long he played in the league. Luka basically did it in one season’s worth of games.
There’s an ebb and flow to the sports media cycle that’s truly maddening. When the Lakers got Luka from the Mavs at last year’s trade deadline, everyone around the league called it highway robbery.
In the year since, it seems like many of those same people have tried to tear him down. But why? He’s leading the league in scoring with 32.9 points per game, and he’s the best player on a team that’s third in the West and getting better every day.
Luka’s greatness is underappreciated. But with the way he’s playing, there’s not much his detractors can say anymore. He’s one of the very best players in the league, and for anyone expecting the Lakers to be an easy out this year, they might be in for a rude awakening.
