The Los Angeles Lakers notched an impressive 110-97 win over the New York Knicks on Sunday night behind a dominant performance by the duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Despite LeBron James being sidelined for the matchup, the Purple and Gold shone with their young stars paving the way to the victory.
The Lakers’ backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves is very likely to be the team’s star pair of the future. With this in mind, Doncic had nothing but praise for his running mate while speaking with the media after the game.
“It’s just great being his teammate,” Doncic shared. “Obviously, he needs to be aggressive like this, but just playing with him is so easy, because he draws so much attention, and helps others too. So, just playing with him, it makes my life easy.”
Austin Reaves’ contributions against the Knicks were vital. While Doncic led the scoring charge with 35 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, Reaves played his role to perfection, adding 25 points, four rebounds, and five assists, along with three steals.
With the Lakers’ star duo combining for 60 points, the Lakers’ offense appeared to be humming. If this game can be considered a template for success, it becomes abundantly clear that the Purple and Gold must find new ways of getting Austin Reaves more involved in the action.
Luka Doncic Praises The Lakers’ Defense
Considering the scoreline, it is safe to say the Lakers certainly exceeded expectations on the defensive end. With players like Marcus Smart (5 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL) anchoring the defense, L.A.’s combined effort ensured the win.
During his postgame media availability, Luka Doncic praised his team’s improved defensive effort, stating:
“It was great from the start of the game. I think everybody was really locked in, especially on defense. I think we did a great job. You know, to hold a team like New York under 100 is pretty amazing for us.”
For the majority of the season, the Lakers have been a fairly poor defensive team. While posting a defensive rating of 116.6 (23rd in the NBA) before the All-Star break, L.A.’s shortcomings were routinely exploited. Since the All-Star break, however, the Purple and Gold have made some improvements, boasting a rating of 111.7 (15th in the NBA).
Luka Doncic credited this improvement to the team’s willingness to discuss their shortcomings and make adjustments along the way.
“I think we just talk about a lot during the season that we need to be a better defensive team,” Doncic commented. “And I think we’ve shown people that we can do it. We’re telling ourselves, and we’ve got to keep doing that.”
For all intents and purposes, the improved execution on both ends of the floor has proved extremely promising for the Purple and Gold. With a 39-25 record and a two-game winning streak, Los Angeles appears to be making a late surge.
