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What might need gotten missed throughout the Los Angeles Lakers’ surge within the second-half of the marketing campaign is that Luka Doncic was struggling from the sphere. He shot lower than 40 p.c in 4 of his first six video games with the group and had a number of different chilly nights alongside the way in which. These struggles are exhausting to recall now, nevertheless.

The 2023-24 scoring champion ended the common season red-hot, and he’s maintaining that type within the NBA playoffs. Three nights after dropping an extremely environment friendly 37 factors in a blowout Sport 1 loss versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, Doncic posted 31 factors on 9-of-20 taking pictures in a 94-85 series-tying victory on Tuesday.

Apart from serving to LA safe a desperately-needed win, the 26-year-old guard achieved exceptional franchise historical past. He joins Corridor of Fame facilities George Mikan and Shaquille O’Neal as the one Lakers gamers to attain 30 factors or extra of their first two postseason video games with the squad, per ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel.

Lakers’ Luka Doncic is constructed for the playoffs

In fact, Doncic can do excess of put the ball within the basket. He additionally collected 12 rebounds and 9 assists, falling simply shy of a triple-double in entrance of an exuberant Crypto.com Area crowd. The five-time All-NBA First-Teamer continues to craft playoff masterpieces. Los Angeles is relying on him to take care of this stellar type because the No. 3 seed within the West tries to outlive Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.

The Lakers’ protection was way more efficient in Sport 2, as they held Minnesota to under 40 p.c taking pictures from the ground. Edwards and Julius Randle mixed for 52 factors, however no different Wolves participant posted double-figures. Head coach JJ Redick hopes that efficiency travels with the group on the street.

Luka Doncic can belief all-time nice LeBron James (21 factors) and the rising Austin Reaves (16) to share within the scoring tasks, however he’ll most likely must hold working as the highest man on offense if the Lakers are going to succeed in their ceiling this postseason. Doncic will look to remain in rhythm when the Lakers and Timberwolves collide within the Goal Middle Friday evening for Sport 3 of this opening-round sequence.

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