Luka Doncic praised the Lakers’ defensive energy and teamwork in Tuesday’s 115-107 road victory over the Denver Nuggets. “It was awesome,” he said. “We tried the first half to play in zone here, but it didn’t work out. So we stick to another plan and just changed the plan in the middle of the game, and stuck to it. It was very impressive by us.”
Doncic highlighted his effort on the boards despite being a guard. “Just trying to get more rebounds. Lately I haven’t had a lot of rebounds, so if I get some more, it helps my team. I just wanted to get more,” he said.
The star guard credited Marcus Smart’s late-game performance for helping secure the win. “He was great. Hit some big shots, two big threes, then got fouled on the three. That was basically winning the game for us,” Doncic said.
Doncic also discussed his evolving role in the Lakers’ offense. “JJ [Redick] and I have been working on getting me to my spots off the ball. Obviously, I don’t have to handle it a lot, so it gives me a breather too. All ball—it’s been going better and better,” he said.
The 26-year-old emphasized the importance of team cohesion, especially during difficult stretches. “Just keeping everybody together. We could have easily gone away after hitting nine threes in like eight minutes. It was a tough stretch, but we kept together, kept the energy high,” Doncic said.
He reflected on the team’s composure at the end of the first half when Denver scored eight straight points. “It was a big moment for us. It showed the character of our team. Especially then, it was a terrible end of half, but we just stayed together,” he said.
Doncic noted the significance of starting the Lakers’ eight-game road trip on a strong note. “It’s definitely very important to get the first one. It’s never easy to play here. The way we stayed together the whole game is impressive and builds us up,” he said.
Finally, Doncic addressed his technical foul count this season. “I’ll try to get that one back because the only thing I said is I got hit in the arm twice and shouldn’t get attacked for that. But yeah,” he said.
Doncic’s 38-point, 13-rebound, and 10-assist triple-double fueled Los Angeles’ 16-0 run in the fourth quarter that erased a 16-point second-half deficit. The Lakers improved to 25-16 and will continue their road stretch Thursday against the Clippers.
