Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers secured a hard-fought 113-109 overtime victory against the New York Knicks on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. This win extended LA’s streak to eight games, making it the second-longest active streak in the NBA, while also improving their record to 20-4 since January 15. With Rui Hachimura unavailable and Austin Reaves struggling (2-for-13 shooting), Doncic and LeBron James carried the team. James delivered 31 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, while Doncic contributed 32 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds, and four steals, finishing with a game-best +16 plus/minus.
Following the blockbuster trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks and Doncic to the Lakers, a former teammate of Doncic’s aimed to clear up misconceptions. Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes defended Doncic’s reputation, stating that he regularly attended optional practices and workouts. “It’s just a narrative around him. Once a narrative starts, everyone runs with it,” Grimes said (via Jarred Weiss of The Athletic). “If they say he’s 270 pounds and he makes the [NBA] Finals, let him be 270 then. It’s crazy.” Grimes called out Nico and Dumont for spreading false narratives, emphasizing that Doncic was always working hard in the gym.
Since being traded from Dallas to Philadelphia on February 4, Grimes has played in 12 games, averaging a career-best 16.8 points per game on 50.0% shooting. The 2021 NBA Draft’s 25th overall pick has posted three 30+ point games since the trade (via statmuse.com), after previously only achieving that twice in four seasons. This includes a career-high 44-point performance against the Golden State Warriors. Grimes isn’t the only former Mavericks player to defend Doncic regarding weight concerns, as new Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith echoed similar sentiments last month (via Jovan Buha of The Athletic). Finney-Smith responded to criticism of Doncic’s weight and conditioning by saying, “Shit, if I was putting up those numbers, maybe I’d need to be 270 too.”
Currently holding the second seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers must continue their winning ways to fend off the Denver Nuggets, who are just 0.5 games behind them.
