It’s funny how sentiment can shift on a team throughout the NBA season. The Lakers, long thought to be frauds since they won tight games and got blown out in their losses, have been roaring up the Western Conference standings thanks to eight straight wins and 11 wins in their last 12 games.
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It’s been a team-wide effort that has gotten the Lakers to where they are, but none of it would be possible without Luka Doncic. The Slovenian has been on some run, with eight straight games of 30 points or more. Not content with such pedestrian numbers, he decided to double it last night and drop 60 on the Heat.
It’s like Luka saw Bam Adebayo drop 83 on the Wizards last week and decided to let Miami know who the boss really was. He was unstoppable from all over the court in shooting 9-17 from 3-point range, 9-13 from inside the arc, and 15-19 from the free throw line.
Luka has been leading the NBA in scoring all season, but what he’s doing lately has taken it to another level. It’s also injected some serious heat into the MVP debate. After the win over the Heat, Lakers head coach JJ Redick chimed in, saying, “It’s a special run that he’s on. We’ve seen all-time greats like him go on these runs, and you just kinda gotta embrace it and enjoy the moment.”
“We’re whatever we are, 25 games over .500, and obviously he’s missed time, LeBron’s missed time, AR’s missed time,” he continued. “To the MVP point, we would not be anywhere near the position we’re in without him having the season he’s having. Particularly of late, he’s dominating right now.”
Luka and the Lakers have been getting disrespected all year, but that needs to change. Just a couple days ago, Kendrick Perkins didn’t have him on his First Team All-NBA ballot, but with the way he’s playing lately, it’s going to be impossible to keep him off.
Luka’s phenomenal play has not only solidified the Lakers as real contenders, it’s reminded everyone just how badly Nico Harrison botched last February’s trade. The former Mavs GM had to be punching air as Luka exploded for 60, while meanwhile his old team lucked into Cooper Flagg yet is still just 23-47 and careening once again toward the lottery.
The Lakers are coming together at the right time. Just a few weeks ago, they were in sixth place in a tightly bunched West, but they’ve risen past the Wolves, Nuggets and Rockets to grab third.
With just 12 games left in the regular season, they’re two games clear of Minnesota and three games up on Houston and Denver, and have a cushy upcoming schedule that includes games against the Pacers, Nets and Wizards. They’ll even get to face the Pistons without Cade Cunningham.
It’s long been assumed that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would win his second MVP in a row, with Victor Wembanyama finishing behind him in second. If Luka keeps this up, though, then this race is far from over.
