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Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Los Angeles Clippers 108-102 on Sunday night. In a game that came down to the wire, Doncic drained a three to reach 29 points around the three-minute mark in the fourth quarter before things got interesting. Dorian Finney-Smith missed a layup and a put-back off of his own offensive rebound with under two minutes left. Then, Kawhi Leonard's three made it a five-point game. In the end, the Lakers managed to hold on and come out on top.
However, that didn't prevent Doncic from telling reporters to ask Finney-Smith about his missed layups that opened the door for a potential Clippers comeback, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
“I hope you asked Dorian about that missed layup.”
Doncic's playful jab toward Finney-Smith was funny for reporters. The two were teammates with the Dallas Mavericks before they ended up reuniting with the Lakers this year. Doncic also finished with nine assists, six rebounds, and two steals while leading his team in scoring.
LeBron James finished with 17 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and two steals. Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht led the bench with 19 points, and Finney-Smith added 11 points. The Lakers are on a six-game winning streak.
Luka Doncic says Lakers have a target on their back
After Sunday's win, Lakers' Luka Doncic agrees his team is targeted by opposing teams focused on getting the upper hand on a nightly basis. While that's the norm throughout the NBA, Doncic says teams are extra motivated when facing the Lakers.
Doncic admits he didn't believe in that notion during his time with the Mavericks. But now, as a member of the Lakers, he feels the difference.
“Yeah, I think so,” Doncic said when asked about whether he believes Los Angeles has a target on their back now. “I didn't believe it before, but they say if somebody is out a long time that they'll play against the Lakers. I didn't believe that for a long time, but obviously it's the Lakers.”
Luka Doncic on the Lakers having a target on their backs:
“Yeah, I think so. I didn’t believe it before, but they say if somebody is out a long time, they play against the Lakers. I didn’t believe that for a long time, but obviously it’s the Lakers.” pic.twitter.com/YRuYaeSUbR
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 3, 2025
Doncic's 29 points were the third-most he's scored since joining the Lakers. He scored 32 points in a 123-100 win against the Nuggets last week. Then, he scored 31 in his first matchup against the Clippers, a 106-102 victory that took place two days before Sunday's win.
Doncic entered Sunday's game averaging 21.0 points on 37.3% shooting, including 24.1% from deep, 8.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game with the Lakers. He's been hard on himself for his poor shooting of late. However, Sunday's 9-for-17 (52.9%) shooting performance, which included 5-of-12 from three, is a step in the right direction.
