Luka Doncic explained his memorable right-wing three-pointer against the Sacramento Kings Sunday night. “Yeah, it was on purpose. I slipped on purpose… one, how do you say? And1 mixtape,” he said, joking about the play that energized the Lakers.
He highlighted the importance of teammate Maxi Kleber, recalling their time together in Dallas. “I really enjoy playing with Maxi… he does all the things that sometimes don’t show in the statistics. Playing with him is amazing,” Doncic said, emphasizing the impact of unselfish contributions.
Marcus Smart also earned praise for igniting momentum. “When he starts like that, it helps everybody… I’m glad he’s on our team and doing this stuff for us,” Doncic said, pointing to the steal and alley-oop connection to LeBron James as a prime example.
Reflecting on the team’s resilience, Doncic acknowledged handling pressure during a difficult stretch. “We just got to go game by game… last two games I think we played great,” he said, noting the importance of focus amid external noise.
The Lakers star shared inspiration from other elite athletes, including Novak Djokovic. “For me, he’s the GOAT. Just for him being here watching me, it’s unbelievable,” Doncic said, describing the motivation of interacting with top competitors outside basketball.
On streetball influences, Doncic clarified a bench joke referencing And1 mixtapes. “I didn’t watch. I’m too young,” he said, adding that the remark was playful rather than a serious reference.
Sunday’s win completed a back-to-back sweep after Saturday’s victory in Golden State. Doncic scored 28 points and recorded nine assists, including four 3-pointers, exiting after three quarters. James added 24 points with two highlight dunks, while Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton contributed 12 points each, with Ayton perfect on 6-of-6 shooting.
The Lakers shot 50% from the field and 46% from three while controlling the boards with 37 rebounds. Sacramento’s Nique Clifford led all scorers with 26 points, but the Kings have now lost 18 of 20 games this season.
