Luka Doncic drops triple-double to power Lakers to

Of course Luka Doncic made the one that didn’t rely.

On a frigid taking pictures evening when the star guard made just one three-pointer on 11 makes an attempt, Doncic swished a 40-footer on a lifeless ball that elicited a roar from the Crypto.com Arena.

He instead made his impression in other methods.

Doncic overcame his unhealthy taking pictures to still acquire his first triple-double of the season, notching 29 factors, 10 assists and 11 rebounds in the Lakers’ 130-120 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday. Fellow guard Austin Reaves was also struggling with his shot, making just 4 of 14 three-point makes an attempt, but rallied for 26 factors and 11 assists to just three turnovers.

Although their stars slogged through concurrent off nights, the Lakers (5-2) still shot 50.5% from the sector. They tallied 33 assists to 11 turnovers. They received their third consecutive recreation.

“We did a lot of really good things and it could have been even better if me and Luka would’ve made a shot,” Reaves deadpanned. “But supporting cast and everybody around that played really well.”

Forward Jake LaRavia, who turns 24 on Tuesday, scored in double digits for the third consecutive recreation off the bench, ending with 25 factors — two shy of his season high — and eight rebounds. He’s averaged 21.7 factors per recreation in the last three video games.

Doncic, who missed three video games with minor finger and leg accidents, scored 40 factors in each of his first three video games this season. Only Wilt Chamberlain had ever began a season with three consecutive 40-point video games. But Doncic was joyful to sacrifice the scoring streak Sunday.

“We get a win,” Doncic said, “[it] doesn’t matter how many I scored.”

Doncic and Reaves struggled in the first quarter, taking pictures a mixed two for seven from the sector. Yet the Lakers still led by seven as the star duo mixed for eight assists.

Center Jaxson Hayes was one of the main beneficiaries in that span, scoring 11 factors on five-of-five taking pictures. He had a ferocious one-handed dunk off a Doncic help that received Hayes so amped up that he head-butted the basket stanchion in celebration. He sank his first three-pointer since March 27, 2023, stepping confidently into a shot that put the Lakers up 23-13 and pressured the Heat to call an early timeout.

Hayes completed with 15 factors and 5 rebounds in his first start of the 12 months as Deandre Ayton was held out because of back spasms. Ayton’s back flared up during the Lakers’ win in Memphis on Friday, inflicting him to sit out your complete second half. He was obtainable to return in the fourth quarter, coach JJ Redick said after the sport, but with the Lakers feeding off Hayes and Jarred Vanderbilt at middle, the crew didn’t need to risk additional injury.

The Heat (3-3) completed the third quarter on a 20-7 run to pull within 4 factors heading into the fourth quarter. Former UCLA star Jaime Jaquez Jr., taking part in in entrance of his hometown crowd, cut the lead to two with an emphatic one-handed put-back dunk 58 seconds in the fourth quarter. A hush fell over the Lakers crowd.

But Reaves helped quell the comeback effort.

He stumbled while attempting to dribble behind his legs, but recovered to shoot a fadeaway mid-range jumper with 1.6 seconds left in the shot clock that put the Lakers up by six with 5:13 remaining in the fourth quarter. Less than 20 seconds later, Reaves threw a lob from just inside mid-court to a hovering LaRavia, who introduced the gang to its toes with a two-handed dunk.