Dončić Scores 42 as Lakers Rout Heat, While Clippers Lose a Sixth Straight
Luka Dončić topped 37 points for a fifth straight game and Austin Reaves added 27 as the Lakers improved to 6-2, while Toronto rallied from 13 down in the fourth quarter to hand the Clippers a sixth consecutive loss.
Luka Dončić made it five games in a row Monday night. The Lakers star scored 42 points, handed out 13 assists and grabbed seven rebounds as Los Angeles beat the Miami Heat 138-117 at Crypto.com Arena, his fifth consecutive game of at least 37 points, the Associated Press reported.
The win, on the second night of a back-to-back, lifted the Lakers to 6-2. A few miles away in Inglewood, the night went the other way for the Clippers, who let a 13-point fourth-quarter lead slip away against Toronto and lost for the sixth straight time.
A Run Few Have Matched
Dončić shot 14 for 24 from the field and 6 for 15 from three-point range, according to the Los Angeles Times. In his four previous games he had scored 52, 41, 37 and 45 points, and he is averaging 43.4 points over the five-game stretch, the AP said.
The 45 came Sunday night in a 131-125 win over the Raptors, when he also had 15 rebounds, six assists, five steals and eight three-pointers. NBA.com noted that no player in league history had put together a game of at least 45 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, five steals and five threes. "It feels like a supernova, but it also feels normal," coach JJ Redick said after that game.
Against Miami, Dončić again set the tone early, scoring 16 points with five assists and four rebounds in the first quarter as the Lakers went ahead 37-30. He had 24 by halftime, despite drawing a technical foul late in the second quarter, his second of the season. Early in the third, Jake LaRavia chased down a Dončić miss and kicked it back to him for a three-pointer that made it 93-74 and forced a Miami timeout. Miami never seriously threatened after that.
"When we win, it feels way better," Dončić told reporters afterward. "And that's the only important stuff."
Plenty of Help
Dončić also had help. Austin Reaves scored 27 points on 10-for-15 shooting and carried the offense while Dončić rested to open the fourth quarter. Center Walker Kessler had 15 points and 15 rebounds for his third straight double-double.
The Lakers shot 57% from the field, made 19 of 43 three-point attempts and assisted on 39 of their 51 baskets. Redick said it was the most assists his team had recorded since he took over as coach.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, in his first season with Miami, finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, but also committed seven turnovers against tight defensive coverage. Klay Thompson added 19 points and Bam Adebayo 16 for the Heat, who fell to 2-5 in the opening game of a five-game West Coast trip.
"He's a freak of nature, man," said Lakers forward Ziaire Williams, who returned after missing three games with soreness in his left foot. LaRavia kept the starting spot Williams had held before the injury.
One of the loudest cheers of the night went to a visitor. Heat president Pat Riley, the coach of the Lakers' Showtime teams, drew an ovation when he was shown on the arena's video board. The franchise unveiled a statue of Riley outside the arena last season.
The Lakers play at Sacramento on Wednesday at 7 p.m. PT against a Kings team that is 1-6, then return home Friday to face Portland in an Emirates NBA Cup group game, according to the team's schedule.
Clippers Can't Hold On
The Clippers led 91-78 entering the fourth quarter at Intuit Dome but were outscored 47-27 the rest of the way in a 125-118 loss, according to the NBA's box score and the AP recap. Scottie Barnes scored 15 of his 22 points in the final period, and his turnaround jumper with 2:08 left gave Toronto its first lead of the night during a 12-1 run. Immanuel Quickley had 27 points and RJ Barrett 26.
Kobe Sanders scored a career-high 26 for the Clippers, who have not won since beating Sacramento in their Oct. 21 opener. They were playing a night after a 124-112 loss at Golden State. Coach Tyronn Lue, who was ill and skipped his pregame news conference, still coached the game.
The matchup had been billed as Kawhi Leonard's return to Southern California, but Leonard sat out with a left knee injury. The Clippers traded him to Toronto in September for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft picks after an NBA investigation that cost the team five first-round picks and a $30 million fine and led to a one-year suspension for owner Steve Ballmer, the AP reported. Dick, making his first start for the Clippers, scored 12 points.
The Clippers try again Wednesday night, when they host the Heat.
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