Led by Luka Doncic’s 60 points, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 134-126 in front of 20,177 fans at Kaseya Center.
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Doncic went 18-of-30 shooting and made nine three-point baskets, helping the Lakers improve to 45-25. LeBron James earned a triple-double with 19 points to go along with 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
During an appearance on ESPN on Friday, NBA insider Brian Windhorst talked about Doncic’s chances of earning the NBA MVP. He still has Oklahoma Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander No. 1, but has been impressed by how Doncic has been playing recently.
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Windhorst knows the Lakers face a serious challenge in the Western Conference with OKC and the San Antonio Spurs occupying the top two spots. However, he thinks James has faith in the Lakers and believes they can contend for an NBA championship.
“The best thing I can say about the Lakers right now, LeBron believes, and this is a nuanced thing, but if you watch LeBron over the decades, there are times when you get to a point in the season where you know he doesn’t believe in his team,” Windhorst said.
“And you can’t see it in stats. You just know it when you see it. Well, I know it when I see it. LeBron believes in this team.”
The Lakers are on an eight-game winning streak. During that stretch, Doncic has received only one technical foul. The star guard is averaging 33.4 points, 8.4 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game.
James, 41, is averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Lakers can contend against the defending champion Thunder or the Spurs in the playoffs this spring. With James, Doncic and Austin Reaves, Los Angeles should be a tough out in any series.
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