Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 118-116 despite LeBron James and Austin Reaves' injury absences on Wednesday night. Doncic led the way in the victory, scoring 35 points to go along with 13 assists, nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks. The Lakers, despite the fact that LeBron has yet to play in a game this season, are now 7-2 overall and have won five consecutive contests. Doncic believes LA's success without James, and most recently Reaves, is telling of the Lakers' “big potential.”
“I'm enjoying it very much playing with these guys,” Doncic said, via Spectrum SportsNet. “AR (Reaves) can't play, we're still missing Bron, so this team has big potential.”
The Lakers will only take a step forward once Reaves and James return. It's also worth noting that Luka missed time earlier in the season, but it was Reaves who stepped up and led the way. As long as one of the stars is on the floor, it seems this Lakers squad has an opportunity to defeat any opponent.
When all three are healthy — and the Lakers' depth is playing up to expectations — the team will be especially dangerous.
For Doncic, the past year has been a whirlwind. He was shockingly traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers in February. Luka and LA reached the postseason following the trade but fell short of their championship goal. Doncic then went viral during the offseason for getting in extremely good shape.
The hard-work is paying off, as the Lakers star is expected to be a serious MVP candidate as long as injuries don't prove to be an obstacle. And he's clearly helping the Lakers in a pivotal manner.
Los Angeles will look to continue playing well on Saturday against the Hawks in Atlanta.
