It’s probable that the Washington Wizards would have favored Luka Dončić abstaining from Friday’s contest to allow his ailing left ankle to recuperate.
However, the Los Angeles Lakers’ prominent player participated in the match against the Wizards, despite being designated as uncertain on the NBA’s injury record earlier that day due to discomfort in his left ankle. His performance was dynamic right from the initial jump ball of their 142-111 victory.
Dončić contributed 11 of the Lakers’ initial 20 points and facilitated two scores for Deandre Ayton, concluding the first quarter with totals of 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, contributing to the Lakers’ 41-point tally in the inaugural 12 minutes.
At the half-time break, he had already achieved a triple-double, amassing 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists, as the Lakers retreated to the changing rooms holding a 77-48 advantage. Remarkably, he was on the court for merely 19 minutes during the first half.
Indicating it was unmistakably his performance, Dončić struck a pose subsequent to delivering an alley-oop pass to Jaxson Hayes (even before Hayes completed the slam dunk) and successfully banked in a shot from beyond the arc for the Lakers’ concluding points of the second quarter. Nevertheless, Lakers head coach JJ Redick did not appear overly impressed by the banked shot during his mid-game discussion.
“Occasionally, he experiences boredom. Thus, it wasn’t a shock to me,” Redick remarked on the Spectrum SportsNet telecast. “However, he didn’t announce his intention for it.”
Dončić maintained post-game that his aim was, in fact, to make the shot off the backboard.
He scaled back his efforts in the latter half, remaining on the bench for the entirety of the fourth quarter as the Lakers maintained a substantial lead. Dončić concluded the game with 37 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists, and 3 steals. The league’s top scorer has accumulated 30 points or more in seven out of his last ten appearances.
Towards the game’s conclusion, Bronny James captivated spectators at Capital One Arena with an uncontested dunk following a theft by Jake LaRivia.
Before that moment, LeBron James delivered an exciting play for the audience, executing a reverse dunk off an alley-oop from Marcus Smart.
The senior James registered 20 points, whereas Bronny accumulated four. Ayton contributed an additional 28 points (his season’s second-best performance) along with 13 rebounds, and Rui Hachimura supplied 11 points as a reserve player.
The Lakers have secured victories in five of their last seven contests, enhancing their record to 29-18 as they contend with the Phoenix Suns for the sixth position in the Western Conference standings. Los Angeles will proceed with its eight-game away schedule, facing the New York Knicks in a Sunday evening showdown.
Regarding the Wizards (12-35), Malaki Branham led the team with 17 points. Alex Sarr subsequently recorded 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Kyshawn George and Bub Carrington each contributed 13 points. Washington’s next engagement is hosting the similarly underperforming Sacramento Kings (12-37) this Sunday.
