Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots the ball as Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center.
For the sixth straight game, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has scored at least 30 points.
Doncic put up 36 points against the Houston Rockets on the road on Monday night to lead the Lakers’ to a 100-92 victory. It marked Los Angeles’ sixth consecutive win and gave the Lakers extra cushion (1.5 games) over the Rockets for the third seed in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots the ball as Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center.
Improved Defense Helped the Lakers Defeat the Rockets
While Doncic’s offensive contributions have been a big advantage for the Lakers recently, the team’s defense is what helped Los Angeles take down Houston on Monday.
Advertisement
The Lakers double-teamed the sixth-leading scorer in NBA history, Kevin Durant, to limit the future Hall of Famer to 18 points. Durant also recorded seven turnovers, which was his most since giving the ball up eight times in a win against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 6.
Defense has not typically been the Lakers’ strength this season, as Los Angeles ranks 20th in the NBA in defensive efficiency. But with Doncic accounting for more than a third of the team’s points on Monday, the Lakers relied on defense to win.
“It’s something that we’ve struggled with earlier in the season,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said about the team’s defense, per ESPN’s Tim McMahon. “I think that shows the commitment that our guys have right now to that end of the floor, understanding we’re going to win with both sides of the ball. We won a lot of games with the offensive side of the ball, and we’ve shown, I think, now — whether it’s been the Knicks game, the Wolves game, this game — we can beat good teams with defense.”
“That’s what good teams do,” Doncic added. “Not every day you’re going to have a great day shooting the ball.”
Advertisement
The Lakers will face the Rockets again on Wednesday night at the Toyota Center. A win against Houston is crucial for Los Angeles to remain a top seed for the playoffs.
Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images