WASHINGTON (AP) — Luka Doncic’s latest triple-double came before the first half even ended.
Doncic had 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in the first two quarters as the Los Angeles Lakers built a 29-point halftime lead over the Washington Wizards on Friday night. He finished with 37 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, and the Lakers won 142-111.
“It’s not easy, for sure. It may seem easy, but it’s not,” Doncic said. “It feels good to have that going.”
Doncic was questionable for the game with ankle soreness after landing poorly during Wednesday night’s loss in Cleveland, but was able to start. Austin Reaves (calf) remained out for the Lakers.
Doncic shot 9 of 13 from the field in the first half with five 3-pointers. His tenth rebound came in the final seconds of the second quarter.
“It’s hard to describe, because most of us can’t imagine being that good,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “It’s destructive for the other team when you’re basically crossing half court and you have to send in a second defender, and we’re playing 4-on-3.”
Doncic is the only player since at least 1997 to reach at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the first half of a game. Now he has done it twice: he scored 29, 10 and 10 against Utah on December 6, 2023, when he played for Dallas.
The last time a player had a triple-double in the first half, according to Sportradar, was when Jalen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks He did it on December 5. Johnson had 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in the half.
While Doncic’s night was a statistical marvel, it was 41-year-old LeBron James who provided the visual highlights, with a one-handed alley-oop dunk in the first half, a reverse alley-oop dunk in the third quarter and then a play in which he outplayed 7-foot-1 Alex Sarr, one of the league’s best shot blockers, for another dunk.
“I enjoy good dunks, yeah,” Redick deadpanned when asked if he could appreciate the game’s highlights. “The one we ran out of timeout where (Deandre Ayton) threw it to him, it was very satisfying to watch. You allow yourself maybe two and a half seconds and move on to the next play.
“Sarr’s… that one surely exploded. It was unexpected.”
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
