As I received the X notification from ESPN's Shams Charania that Luka Doncic had been traded for Anthony Davis, my face went paler than Marlon Wayans in 2004 with movie makeup on. What do you mean, Doncic is now a Laker and Davis is now a Maverick? Why? How? WHO is Nico Harrison?! I'd then spent the next - way too many, I lost count - hours not doom-scrolling, but furiously
The Nets looked flat, disconnected and late to everything early. Luka Dončić took control from the opening tip, getting to his spots at will and scoring 14 points in his first nine minutes as the Lakers shot 83.3% in the first quarter, going 15-for-18. Brooklyn couldn't keep Jaxson Hayes off the rim, couldn't slow the ball in transition and couldn't stay out of foul trouble.
He was hopping on one foot after releasing the shot and hopped right off the platform, grabbing immediately for his left leg. When he hobbled to the locker room, Doncic could barely put any weight on his leg. "It is absolutely a safety hazard," Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Doncic was able to return later in the first quarter.
Doncic was hoping backwards on one leg after he took the shot with 7:58 remaining in the first quarter and slipped off the edge of the court. He immediately grabbed at his lower left leg and was unable to stand up. The Lakers called a timeout and trainers helped Doncic to his feet. He hobbled toward the Lakers locker room, putting almost no weight on his left leg.
Wonder what Caitlin Clark thinks about the confusion surrounding Austin Reaves' imminent return to the Lakers lineup? Or whether Jeanie Buss has turned on LeBron James? Or if she has nothing but praise for Luka Doncic? Tune in to the Lakers' matchup against the New York Knicks on the NBC Sports debut of "Basketball Night in America" on Sunday night to find out. Clark, the uber-popular WNBA star, will serve an analyst on the pregame show, beginning at 3 p.m. PT, one hour before tipoff.
Doncic dazzled yet again with 46 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in the Lakers' 129-118 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The Lakers (28-17) notched their fourth win in five games. It was his third game in the last four with at least 10 assists - all wins. The 26-year-old guard scored 32 points in the second half.
Hayes responded with a two-handed shove of Dunn, who attempted to retaliate with a swat at Hayes's head while officials and teammates separated them. Hayes will get a fine for his technical foul, but it won't cost him any money. I got him, Doncic said. I told him right away, thanks for having my back. This is what I love about this team. Everybody has got each other's back.
Unlike the blowout loss in Atlanta last Saturday, it appeared the Lakers were at least mentally prepared to compete against the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. The problem in the 121-92 loss was that they simply could not keep up. Reigning most valuable player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points on 10 for 18 shooting with nine assists. The Lakers' own MVP hopeful Luka Doncic had 19 points, making just seven of 20 shots with seven assists and four turnovers.
