The Los Angeles Lakers picked up a convincing 136-115 win over the New Orleans Pelicans last night. It was orchestrated by Luka Doncic, who had his best passing game since joining the Lakers with 15 dimes. He was at the center of the offense and effortlessly conducted one of the best offensive showings by the Lakers in the last few months.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick was amazed at the ease with which Doncic solved every defensive scheme the Pelicans tried throwing at them.
“They tried a bunch of coverages on him. The blitz, red, drop, but he solved every riddle. We’re excited about the process when we get good shots. Today we were able to generate a lot of good shots and he was at the forefront of that.”
"He solved every riddle."
Lakers HC JJ Redick on Luka responding to all types of defensive coverages in LA's 7th straight win 🌟 pic.twitter.com/2Zrw5mL6ly
— NBA (@NBA) March 5, 2025
Doncic discussed how he felt about his adjustment to the Lakers and how his teammates are trying to accommodate his style.
“Yeah, I think it’s getting better and better. You saw the Gortat screen. I told [Trey Jemison] last game, if you do that, it’s gonna be open there for me. So, he was unselfish and did that. Also, when I talk about cutting the baseline, and it’s just, it’s about talking about things, what things I like, what things they like, and what’s gonna make it easier to win.”
Luka Dončić dazzled as a passer and a scorer in the Lakers' 7th straight victory!
🤩 30 PTS
🤩 15 AST
🤩 8 REB
🤩 6 3PM pic.twitter.com/JwIja0gvBi
— NBA (@NBA) March 5, 2025
Doncic also made it clear that he needs to start relying on his ability to score after driving into the paint more often.
“I gotta drive more. I’m still getting in rhythm.”
Doncic is looking a lot more comfortable with every game. He had 30 points to go along with his 15 assists, averaging 30.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 9.7 assists over the last three contests.
This is the Doncic everyone was waiting to show up after his slow start with the franchise. Now that he’s hitting his stride, teams around the West will be terrified of what they can achieve.
Lakers Are Certified Contenders
Calling the Lakers contenders isn’t a gut reaction to a win over the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s the amalgamation of what coach Redick has shown consistently this season. He can maximize the roster, especially with minds like LeBron and Luka executing on the court.
They don’t have any signature defensive players outside of Jarred Vanderbilt and Dorian Finney-Smith but are the best defense in the NBA over the last 22 games, even getting defensive output from LeBron like we haven’t seen before.
Their success is also driven by a growing willingness from LeBron to play off-ball now that he has an on-ball option he trusts like Doncic.
“I’m very comfortable with playing off the ball and finding my spots. … I’ve been very blessed to be able to be adaptable to whatever team I’ve been on in my career.”
James picked up Player of the Month for February 2025 for averaging 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists. The forward is rejuvenated, Luka is finding his rhythm, and the Lakers look unstoppable.
While they aren’t favorites for the titles over the likes of the OKC Thunder and Boston Celtics, they sure are among the teams with the best chance to upset them.
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