Luka Doncic leads another Lakers victory despite shooting 1 for 11 from three-point range
Fifth victory of the year for the Slovenian in the first match of the year in which he did not reach 40 points due to the three-point shot
Luka Doncic was unable to maintain his spectacular start to the season, but closed the night with his first triple-double of the season to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 130-120 victory over the Miami Heat at the Crypto.com Arena.
The Slovenian guard, who had started the season with three consecutive games scoring over 40 points, ended with 29 points with just one three-pointer made in eleven attempts. Nevertheless, he guided six Lakers players to double-digit scoring, adding 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Austin Reaves, despite an uneven shooting night (4 for 14 from three-point range), finished with 26 points and 11 assists with only three turnovers. His fourth three-pointer, putting the Lakers (5-2) up by eleven points with less than two minutes left, was celebrated by him raising his hands in relief.
Jake LaRavia once again stood out coming off the bench. The small forward, who will turn 24 on Tuesday, reached double digits for the third consecutive game with 25 points —two shy of his season-high— in addition to eight rebounds, four steals, and three assists.
Doncic and Reaves struggled early on, combining for just two buckets out of seven attempts in the first quarter. However, the Lakers were already leading by seven points thanks to the eight combined assists of their star duo. Jaxson Hayes capitalized well with 11 flawless points (5 for 5) in that stretch, including a powerful one-handed dunk after a Doncic assist that he celebrated with such energy that he accidentally hit his head on the rim's base. He also sunk his first three-pointer since March 2023, extending the lead to 23-13 and forcing the Miami Heat to call a timeout.
Hayes started for the first time this season due to Deandre Ayton's lower back issues, as Ayton aggravated during the win in Memphis and did not play in the second half. According to coach JJ Redick, Ayton was available to return in the fourth quarter, but Hayes and Jarred Vanderbilt's strong performance in the paint led the coaching staff not to take risks.
Miami's unsuccessful attempt
The Miami Heat (3-3) responded with a 20-7 run to close the third quarter and cut the deficit to four points. Jaime Jaquez Jr., former UCLA player and L.A. native, narrowed the gap to just two with a spectacular one-handed dunk at the start of the final period, silencing the crowd.
However, Reaves emerged again in the crucial moments. With 5:13 remaining, he recovered the ball after stumbling and made a mid-range shot. In the next possession, he assisted an inspired LaRavia, who finished with a powerful one-handed dunk to ignite the cheers of the Los Angeles crowd.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Luka Doncic lidera otro triunfo de los Lakers pese a un ¡1 de 11! en triples
