Luka Doncic returned from a one-game absence with lower back tightness to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 124-114 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, extending their winning streak to six games. One streak ended for Doncic, though: his run of scoring 40-plus points stopped at four games.
Doncic finished with 32 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, which tied for second on the team. He was also named the Western Conference player of the week earlier in the day after averaging 45 points with a 4-0 record.
“Luka again, you know, [was] just orchestrating,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I thought he was really just a willing passer. He ended up with 10 assists … but could have had 15, 16 assists.”
Depth steps up without Reaves and Grimes
The Lakers played without Austin Reaves (illness) and Quentin Grimes (sprained right-hand finger). The pair had combined for 55 points and eight assists in Sunday’s win over the Detroit Pistons. Teammates did not convert every pass Doncic delivered, but the rest of the roster more than covered the gap.
Sandro Mamukelashvili scored a season-high 23 points off the bench, adding eight rebounds. Collin Sexton, who took on more ball-handling duties with Reaves sidelined, finished with 18 points and six assists. Lakers centre Walker Kessler recorded his third straight double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Ziaire Williams added 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field.
Defence drives the result
Redick praised Doncic’s approach to the game, saying he is first a competitor and reads the game rather than simply looking to score. Doncic’s focus in the postgame locker room at State Farm Arena was not his scoring. He spoke about his five steals and two blocks against the Hawks.
The Lakers came into the contest ranked No. 21 in the league in defensive efficiency, but they held Atlanta to 114 points. That was a tick below the Hawks’ average of 118.6, and Atlanta, which arrived on a four-game winning streak, committed 19 turnovers after averaging 14.5 a game. Los Angeles, now 10-2, has room to improve on that ranking.
“I think we can be way better than 21st,” Doncic said. “I think we have the potential for that.”