LOS ANGELES – Following their 118-116 win against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers moved to 7-2 and second in the Western Conference standings so far. Amid the first nine games of the season, Lakers head coach JJ Redick has used seven different starting lineups. However, one of the main constants this season has been the play of Luka Doncic.
Doncic didn’t have a particularly efficient game against the Spurs, but he made big plays on both ends of the court to help the Lakers to a win without Austin Reaves in the lineup. The win was just one of a couple the Lakers have managed to grind out this year despite being short-handed, and afterwards JJ Redick summed up Doncic’s play with one word.
“I would say for him [Luka] and for the group, the word of the day is resiliency. I thought he showed that in the second half, playing through some foul trouble, playing through what quite honestly was a frustrating abnormal offensive night for him,” Redick said. “He stayed with it. I thought the focus level with both the referees. . .just the focus with his teammates, and just getting onto the next play.”
“Without Austin, without LeBron, his teammates are looking to him to keep that resolve and keep that positive disposition,” Redick continued. “And he was able to do that throughout the game, which, look that’s an area of growth, and I thought he was great with that.”
Luka Doncic finished one rebound shy of a triple double with 35 points, nine rebounds and 13 assists in the Lakers win against the Spurs. He shot 9-of-27 from the field, 4-of-11 from the three-point line and 13-of-17 from the free-throw line.
Doncic has had a hot start to the season, and has generated MVP talks in the early goings. Coming into Wednesday’s game, he had appeared in four games amid multiple injury issues, at a little over 38 minutes per game. He had been averaging 41.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 54.5 percent from the field.
Even with the Lakers’ being short-handed, and Doncic doing a lot of the heavy-lifting, it’s been an enjoyable season for him so far.
“Honestly, the feeling is that I’m enjoying it very much playing with these guys,” Doncic said following the win. “You know AR [Austin Reaves] can play. We’re still missing Bron. This team has big potential. Everybody steps on the court and gives maximum effort, so it’s very enjoyable to play.”
