LOS ANGELES – Following a three-game losing streak, the Los Angeles Lakers managed to get back on track with consecutive blowout wins, the most recent coming against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, 128-104. During the Lakers’ losing streak, fans and media alike wrote them off, and then started singing praise after the wins, but Luka Doncic didn’t pay attention to any of it.
Following the Lakers’ win against the Kings, Luka Doncic spoke about not looking too far ahead and staying grounded while blocking out whatever outside voices may have to say.
“It was obviously two great wins. But we just got to go game by game,” Doncic said. “Obviously there’s a lot of noise outside. I try not to pay attention to that. We got to go game by game, and the last two games have been good.”
Doncic did his part in helping the Lakers put together a mini-win streak. He finished with a game-high 28 points in 29 minutes while shooting 10-of-16 from the field, 4-of-8 from the 3-point line and 4-of-7 from the free-throw line. He also added five rebounds, nine assists, one steal and one blocked shot.
Earlier in the season, Doncic was firmly in the mix for the MVP Award. While those talks have cooled since then, it’s possible he elevates himself in the race again depending on how the remainder of the Lakers’ season goes.
Doncic is currently leading the NBA in scoring at 32.6 points per game. He’s also averaging 7.7 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.4 steals with splits of 47.1 percent shooting from the field, 35.8 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 77.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
After the Lakers’ win against the Warriors, head coach JJ Redick spoke about his confidence in the team still being able to reach the level of competitiveness he wants them to display on a consistent basis. Following the win against the Kings, he also acknowledged not getting too caught up in the outside noise.
“The world has fallen for us 19 times. It’s just part of the nature of this cycle,” Redick said. “Like I’ve talked about every game, our guys have bounced back and responded well throughout the season. We’re tied in the loss column for fifth and a couple of games out of third with none of these teams coming up that are right there with us. We’re just going to keep playing to win.”
The Lakers next chance at adding to their current win streak is Tuesday, March 3 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
