The Luka Dončić trade to the Los Angeles Lakers still feels surreal at times. Dončić has been a member of the Lakers’ roster for over a month now, but it still feels surreal.
In his time as a Laker, Dončić has had some impressive showings. Since joining the Lakers, Dončić is averaging 26.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game in the 13 games he’s played in. The Lakers went on an eight game winning streak with Dončić and LeBron James in the line-up together.
Since James has been out with a groin strain, the Lakers started to face a few struggles. The Lakers have lost three straight games, starting with the game against the Celtics that James suffered his injury in.
The Lakers would also take a surprising loss to the Brooklyn Nets before heading into Milwaukee with the chance to turn their momentum around. Unfortunately for the Lakers, that chance was squandered.
Luka Dončić’s 45-Point Night Overshadowed By Loss To Bucks
The Lakers would come up short in the loss to the Bucks, as they completely lost control of the game in the second half. The Bucks would defeat the Lakers 126-106, as the Lakers currently sit in the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
Dončić would have a really solid performance despite the loss, as he finished with 45 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists. Dončić downplayed his own performance because it didn’t result in a victory:
Luka Doncic on his 45-point night:
"It was OK. But nothing matters if we lose the game. At the end of the day, it's a team sport and you gotta be all together. Whatever somebody does it great, but at the end of the day you gotta win and we didn't do that tonight."
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) March 14, 2025
“It was OK. But nothing matters if we lose the game. At the end of the day, it’s a team sport, and you gotta be all together. Whatever somebody does, it is great, but at the end of the day, you gotta win, and we didn’t do that tonight.”
Will Dončić Play Against The Denver Nuggets?
While James is listed as day-to-day, Dončić has taken on a larger role in his absence, as evidenced by the 45-point performance against the Bucks.
As the Lakers prepare for a grueling back-to-back game against the Denver Nuggets, the question is, will Dončić suit up to play? Dončić did not give a definitive answer but did speak about the Lakers having to play six games in eight days, a sign that fatigue could be catching up to them.
Luka Doncic on the Lakers' stretch of 6 games in 8 days:
"I don't think I've ever went through something like that. But at the end of the day, we're getting paid to do that and there shouldn't be any excuses that you're tired. You live for this. Just gotta have great recovery…
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) March 14, 2025
“I don’t think I’ve ever went through something like that. But at the end of the day, we’re getting paid to do that and there shouldn’t be any excuses that you’re tired. You live for this. Just gotta have great recovery after every game and just keep going.”
Dončić gave a simple “we’ll see” answer about playing against the Nuggets, but for the Lakers, every game counts in playoff seeding. A loss for the Lakers against the Nuggets with a Houston Rockets win over the Dallas Mavericks could drop them to the fifth seed.
Will Dončić play? Can the Lakers manage to pull out a victory or two while James is out? The challenge lies ahead. Time will tell if the Lakers can pull it off.