LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic scored 14 factors in restricted taking part in time throughout his debut with the Lakers on Monday evening, becoming a member of their beginning lineup alongside LeBron James and instantly stepping into the movement throughout Los Angeles’ 132-113 victory over the Utah Jazz.
Doncic obtained a number of standing ovations from a Los Angeles crowd sporting hundreds of gold T-shirts along with his identify and No. 77.
He scored 11 factors whereas the Lakers streaked out to a 25-point halftime lead, and he sat down for good with 3:07 left within the third quarter with the Lakers far forward of their sixth consecutive victory.
The Slovenian famous person’s first bucket was a 3-pointer within the opening minutes on his second shot for the Lakers. Doncic completed with 5 rebounds and 4 assists — none prettier than a three-quarter-court strike to James for a layup late within the first half.
The sport was Doncic’s first in almost seven weeks since he strained his left calf on Christmas with the Mavericks, who shocked the sports activities world by buying and selling their 25-year-old centerpiece and NBA scoring champion. The grateful Lakers gave up Anthony Davis and Max Christie.
After a full week to settle in and to return to full energy, Doncic joined James, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes as starters for the streaking Lakers, who had received 11 of 13 even earlier than including a five-time All-NBA choice to their lineup.
Doncic performed solely 23 minutes because the Lakers convey him again intentionally from his harm.
His legs aren’t fairly there but — he went 1 for 7 on 3-point makes an attempt in his debut — however his playmaking instantly meshed along with his new teammates.
Coach JJ Redick, who performed alongside Doncic for 13 video games in 2021 with the Dallas Mavericks, was wanting to see what Doncic would do in his much-hyped debut along with his new group.
“Pleasure stage is excessive,” Redick stated. “I don’t suppose something in our method or recreation plan for Utah adjustments. It’s at all times a problem in-season to combine, and we now have to have the ability to give one another persistence for that.”
Doncic didn’t disappoint: His first contact was an alley-oop help to Hayes, and he hit his 3-pointer moments later. He was serenaded with “Luka! Luka!” chants on the first useless ball, and a number of other instances thereafter.
That crowd included Dirk Nowitzki, who overlapped with Doncic for one season in Dallas and served as his mentor.
Doncic seemed to be the pure inheritor to the German Corridor of Famer’s unbelievable run in Dallas — till present Mavericks basic supervisor Nico Harrison determined in any other case.
Doncic performed the primary 6:56 earlier than trying out alongside James — doubtless a coincidence attributable to Doncic’s minutes restriction whereas he returns to full energy.
The Lakers are anticipated to have one in every of their superstars on the ground at almost all instances when Doncic is on top of things.
“Really feel prefer it’s greatest proper now to ease Luka again in to taking part in NBA motion,” Redick stated. “I believe if it was as much as Luka, he would most likely play 48 minutes, however we’re considering long-term and we wish to be protected.”
Doncic returned with about eight minutes left within the first half, and he helped the Lakers on their technique to a giant lead with a number of key performs.
All people acquired a Doncic T-shirt to mark the event on the Lakers’ downtown enviornment — together with James, who warmed up earlier than the sport within the gold No. 77 shirt.
Doncic was adopted by dozens of cameras as he warmed up for about 10 minutes earlier than the sport, and the Lakers’ enviornment performed the Serbian music he favors for pregame exercises.
The Lakers launched him final earlier than the sport, giving him the spot usually reserved for James, which led to a different standing ovation.
James returned from a one-game harm absence Monday when the Lakers started a home-and-home set with the Jazz heading into the All-Star break.
“I don’t suppose any of us know precisely what it’ll seem like,” Utah coach Will Hardy stated. “I assume it’ll look good. (Doncic and James) are two of the most effective thinkers, problem-solvers that we’ve ever seen. So yeah, I believe getting ready for it’s a little bizarre. … However I don’t see any world the place these two taking part in collectively isn’t an excellent factor. Like I stated, their processing pace mentally is unbelievable, and so I’m positive they’ll determine it out.”
Doncic has watched three straight Lakers victories from their bench since arriving in Los Angeles per week in the past.
Reaves scored a career-high 45 factors to guide the Lakers previous Indiana 124-117 on Saturday with out Doncic or James, who sat out to relaxation his sore ankle.
Doncic started Monday by donating $500,000 to fireside restoration efforts in his new group, making an instantaneous impression along with his pledge to assist with the injury attributable to the rampant wildfires that devastated elements of Southern California final month — together with Pacific Palisades, the place Redick’s residence was misplaced.
“It’s been so unhappy to see and study extra concerning the injury from the wildfires as I landed in LA,” Doncic wrote on his Luka Doncic Basis’s social media channels. “I can’t imagine it, and I really feel for all the children who misplaced their houses, colleges and the locations the place they used to play with their pals. Right now, my basis is donating $500,000 to rapid restoration efforts. I’m additionally dedicated to serving to rebuild courts, playgrounds and fields that had been destroyed, as a result of each child wants a protected place to play.
“To everybody affected by these fires: we’re right here to assist, now and for the lengthy haul.”
Doncic signed his observe: “Your new neighbor.”
Doncic’s preliminary donation is being made to the Group Basis Wildfire Restoration Fund. He additionally plans to donate “important further funding over the subsequent two years” with a deal with rebuilding kids’s play areas, in line with a spokesperson.
