Out like a lion: Luka totals 600 points in March; Lakers go 15-2
LOS ANGELES — After Luka Doncic scored 42 points with 12 assists in the Lakers‘ 127-113 win over the Cavaliers On Tuesday, coach JJ Redick heaped main reward on his famous person for his efficiency in the month of March.
“I think Luka has had as good of a month as anybody that I can remember in the modern NBA, at least since I’ve been part of it,” Redick mentioned.
It was Doncic’s third straight 40-point sport, lifting his March scoring whole to 600 points — becoming a member of Michael Jordan in 1987 as the one gamers to achieve the mark in March and one among solely 10 gamers to attain 600 points in any month.
As dominant as Doncic was, so too had been the Lakers, ending the month with a 15-2 document.
“If you don’t win, it doesn’t really mean anything,” Doncic mentioned when requested about his scoring spree. “So the run we’ve been on, it means a lot.”
For Doncic, who eclipsed 15,000 profession points through the sport and completely outperformed Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell — who completed with 10 points on 4-for-10 capturing and 6 assists — it was additionally one other MVP-type efficiency.
But he as soon as once more kept away from being his personal advocate for the award.
“I never did that [in the past]”Doncic mentioned. “I’m not the one voting. …But I think I’ve been playing pretty good. We’ve been winning. So that’s it. That’s all I got to say.”
The win over the Cavaliers was notable for extra than simply Doncic.
It was the 1,229th win (common season and playoffs) of LeBron James‘profession, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for probably the most wins by any participant in NBA historical past.
It was additionally the a centesimal win of Redick’s teaching profession as he grew to become the primary Lakers coach since Phil Jackson to information the staff to 50 wins in back-to-back seasons.
“Don’t deserve to be mentioned along with Phil or Pat [Riley] or any of those guys,” Redick mentioned. “I’ve got a lot left to accomplish, for sure. …I’ve had the same [coaching] staff for the most part both years. I think just we are resilient and we’re resolved.”
And they’re nearly on the end line to the common season, clinching a playoff berth Tuesday with six video games remaining. Two of these six video games are in opposition to the Oklahoma City Thunderbeginning Thursday on the street.
Just like Cleveland beat Los Angeles by 30 earlier in the season and this improved model of the Lakers exacted some revenge Tuesday, they’ll have a likelihood to make up for 2 losses to the Thunder this season — together with one loss by 29 points.
And as sizzling as Doncic and the Lakers had been in March, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder went 14-1, with the reigning MVP averaging 30.7 points on 56.8% capturing and 6.6 assists for the month.
“Very exciting [matchup]”, Lakers guard Austin Reaves he mentioned. “Obviously they’re the defending champs. Playing at a high level, obviously one of the best teams in the league, if not the best team. And we have an opportunity to go into OKC and battle them.”
