Last night in Dallas just had the Los Angeles Lakers tapping into the secret sauce, didn't it? The Lakers showcased a formula as to how Luka Doncic and LeBron James can dominate when the 2025 NBA Playoffs start.
The big storyline from Wednesday night was, of course, Doncic's first road game against the Dallas Mavericks. That meant it was easy for everything else to get lost in the shuffle of such an emotional evening.
Doncic dominated the game, dropping 45 points against the organization that discarded him. However, James was likewise a huge part of the victory. The all-time great finished the night with 27 points of his own. The combination of the two proved too tough to overcome, previewing just how difficult it will be to hang with the superstar duo in a seven-game series.
The Lakers' perfect formula for this year's postseason
The Lakers' newest superstar has always been a fast starter. Doncic had 31 points in the first two quarters of Wednesday night's game against the Mavericks. That was the 10th time that the Slovenian superstar had a 30-point first half in his career. That performance broke a tie with James Harden for the most of any player in that span.
Doncic is certainly well-known for being a crunch time performer too, but last night, the Lakers guard did not need to fill that role. James calmly stepped in and delivered some important fourth quarter buckets when the Lakers needed to create separation from the Mavericks.
LeBron ranks fourth in the NBA this season when it comes to fourth quarter scoring averages. The ageless wonder has scored 7.2 points per game, only trailing LaMelo Ball (7.8), Kyrie Irving (7.7), and Zion Williamson (7.3). James also ranks fourth in assists per game, in the final quarter, out of players who have played a minimum of 25 games.
One of the biggest points of excitement about the addition of Doncic to the Lakers was what it could do for preserving the 40-year-old superstar. This was the perfect display of that.
Luka carried the load early on, keeping them competitive throughout and getting the Lakers to the point of needing to put the finishing touches on the win. LeBron stepped in, fresh and energized, and did just that with 13 fourth quarter points.
Between the stellar offensive play that can typically be relied upon from Doncic, and even Austin Reaves, James should have every opportunity to make sure this was not a one-off performance, but something to replicate over and over once the NBA postseason rolls around. That should inspire plenty of confidence in the Lakers' title hopes.
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