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Dave McMenamin
Jointly Authored
LOS ANGELES — Following Luka Doncic’s impressive 42-point, 12-assist performance in the Lakers’ 127-113 triumph against the Cavaliers on Tuesday, head coach JJ Redick offered significant praise for his star player’s achievements throughout March.
“I believe Luka delivered one of the most remarkable months anyone has achieved in contemporary NBA history, at least during my time observing it,” Redick stated.
This marked Doncic’s third consecutive game with 40 or more points, elevating his total score for March to 600 points – a feat only matched by Michael Jordan in March 1987, and placing him among just 10 players to ever reach 600 points in any single month.
Doncic’s outstanding play was mirrored by the Lakers’ strong performance, as they concluded the month with a 15-2 standing.
“If victory isn’t achieved, then it lacks true significance,” Doncic commented when questioned about his scoring outburst. “Therefore, the victorious streak we’ve been on holds immense importance.”
For Doncic, who surpassed 15,000 career points during the contest and clearly outshone Cleveland’s key player Donovan Mitchell – who managed just 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting and six assists – this was yet another display worthy of MVP consideration.
However, he once again chose not to advocate for himself for the prestigious honor.
“I’ve never done that [in the past],” Doncic remarked. “I’m not the one casting votes. … Yet, I believe my play has been quite strong. We’ve been securing wins. So, that’s it. That’s everything I have to say.”
The victory over the Cavaliers was notable for reasons extending beyond just Doncic’s individual accomplishments.
It represented LeBron James’ 1,229th career win (encompassing both regular season and playoff games), allowing him to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the highest number of career wins by any player in the National Basketball Association’s history.
This also marked the 100th coaching win for Redick, making him the initial Lakers coach since Phil Jackson to guide the team to 50 victories in back-to-back campaigns.
“I don’t deserve to be spoken of in the same breath as Phil or Pat [Riley] or any of those individuals,” Redick expressed. “There’s still a great deal I need to achieve, without a doubt. … My coaching personnel has remained largely consistent across both years. I simply believe we are resilient and determined.”
And they are nearing the conclusion of the regular season, having secured a playoff spot on Tuesday with half a dozen games remaining. Two of these remaining matchups are against the Oklahoma City Thunder, commencing with an away game on Thursday.
Just as Cleveland previously defeated Los Angeles by 30 points earlier in the season, and this improved Lakers squad enacted some payback on Tuesday, they will have an opportunity to avenge two prior losses to the Thunder this season – including one defeat by 29 points.
And while Doncic and the Lakers were performing strongly in March, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder achieved a 14-1 record, with the reigning MVP averaging 30.7 points on 56.8% shooting and 6.6 assists throughout the month.
“Extremely thrilling [contest],” Lakers guard Austin Reaves stated. “Clearly they are the reigning champions. They’re playing at an elite level, undoubtedly one of the top teams in the league, if not the premier team. And we have a chance to enter OKC and contend with them.”
