Lakers guards Luka Doncic, left, and Austin Reaves, right, have become a dynamic scoring duo.
(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)
Doncic is, by Redick’s estimation, “one of the greatest offensive engines to ever play basketball.” His running mate Reaves, in the midst of a career year, is “one of the greatest offensive engines in this year’s NBA.”
The Lakers’ star guards went into overdrive to power the Lakers without LeBron James on Sunday, combining for 67 points and 15 assists as James missed the game with a right foot injury.
Doncic entered the game as the NBA’s leading scorer, averaging 35.1 points per game, but was also ranked second in assists per game with 9.4 assists per game. He had his sixth consecutive 30-point game with 34 points Sunday, adding seven assists, 12 rebounds and just two turnovers despite being double-teamed nearly every time he had the ball. In fact, Doncic invited double teams, beckoning extra defenders toward him as he surveyed the court.
“The gravity that he has on the court, it’s impossible to guard him any certain way because [of] his ability to pass the ball, his unselfishness and his shot-making ability,” Reaves said. “Then, once you blitz him, then you have advantage basketball and we like our chances.”
Doncic said after dishing 11 assists with 35 points against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday that if he gets blitzed by extra defenders, it’s a sign he did his job. Playing four-on-three is “the easiest basketball you can play,” he said proudly.
Doncic and Reaves are the fourth pair of teammates in 50 years to each record 30 or more points in three consecutive games, according to the NBA. Powered by the sudden return of his three-pointer, Reaves scored 31 points against the Clippers last Tuesday and 38 against the Mavericks on Friday. He has made 12 of 19 three-point attempts (63.1%) in the last three games after getting off to a 31.1% mark from beyond the arc this season.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
