The Los Angeles Lakers topped the Houston Rockets in a crucial contest behind 36 points from Luka Doncic, and the superstar is doing exactly what he did with the Dallas Mavericks in 2024. The Lakers' current six-game win streak started on March 6. Back in 2024, Luka’s Mavericks won 16 of their final 20 regular-season games. That started on March 7, and the hottest team in the NBA went all the way to the NBA Finals.
The 2024 run was piloted by Doncic shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point range and averaging nearly a 30-point triple-double. Dallas’ defense significantly improved with a locked-in Luka. The Mavs were 23rd in defensive rating from opening night until March 6 and were number one to close the season.
The six-time All-Star is following this exact blueprint with the current Lakers. Doncic is shooting over 41 percent from long range over this stretch and increasing his scoring. LA’s defense was 22nd on March 5 and are in the top ten since. The Lakers are arguably the hottest team in the NBA, just like Dallas was a couple of years ago.
Luka Doncic is following the blueprint that helped him lead the Mavericks to the NBA Finals
Lakers fans can’t believe the team is here. It seemed insane to think the purple and gold would be a serious threat a few weeks ago. They struggled to stay healthy and are in their first full season with Luka. The team is finally meshing and has quickly vaulted into a legit threat.
The story was the same in Dallas. The Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving at the 2023 deadline, and he was in his first full season as Luka’s running mate. Everything came together when nobody thought Dallas was a serious threat. They got hot at the right time and won the Western Conference. The Mavs lost to the Celtics in the NBA Finals, but it was still a shocking run that was keyed by Doncic locking in on both ends.
He is doing it again for the Lakers. Luka deserves to be in the thick of the MVP discussion because of his impressive shooting. Just like in 2024, he won’t be a serious threat for the award, but no team should want to face the purple and gold in the playoffs. The Don has LA playing their best basketball, and the momentum is clearly building to make a deep playoff run.
The Lakers have defeated the Knicks, Timberwolves, Nuggets, and now the Rockets during this six-game win streak. LA is a legit threat and has already climbed to third in the loaded Western Conference.
Luka Doncic has been here before, and Los Angeles Lakers fans should be excited. The last time the six-time All-Star did this, his team wound up in the NBA Finals. He is following that blueprint to the letter. Be shocked if you wish. The Lakers are a legit threat and keep getting better. That is what Doncic does. Buckle up because the wild ride is just getting started.