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[Saba Sports News] Luka Doncic’s transition from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers has brought new challenges—one of which he initially dismissed as a myth.
After Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Doncic admitted he had been skeptical about the idea that the Lakers get every opponent’s best effort.
However, he now believes there’s truth to it, particularly when it comes to injured players making their return against L.A.
“Yeah, I think so. I didn’t believe it before, but they say if somebody is out a long time, they play against the Lakers,” Doncic said. “I didn’t believe that for a long time, but obviously, it’s the Lakers.”
There’s some evidence to support his claim. Clippers forward Norman Powell returned from injury on Sunday after missing nearly three weeks, though he lasted just nine minutes before re-aggravating his hamstring.
Similarly, Donte DiVincenzo and Dwight Powell both made their comebacks against the Lakers last week, only for their teams to lose.
Whether it’s just a coincidence or a genuine trend, it hasn’t slowed the Lakers down. With their latest win, they’ve now rattled off six straight victories and climbed to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
A big factor in that success has been the growing chemistry between Doncic and LeBron James.