Luka Doncic just put up 51 points against the Chicago Bulls, but in the process, he proved once again just how much the Los Angeles Lakers could struggle in the postseason. If their defense is giving up a ton of points and it takes a 51-ball from Doncic to get over the finish line, that may not bode well.
And it’s especially brutal when you consider the competition. The Bulls are one of the worst teams in the league. Still, they managed to put up 130 points against the Lakers, who won by 12 (142-130). Obviously, in the NBA, a double-digit win is a double-digit win, but it was still a less-than-ideal showing on the defensive end.
They can’t afford games like that in the playoffs.
Luka Doncic's 51-point game covered up Lakers' disaster defense
Doncic scoring 51 points is incredible. He’s one of the best players in the league for a reason. And having a guy like that will be a huge boost to the Lakers’ playoff chances.
On Wednesday night, in the Lakers’ win over the Bulls, Doncic finished the game with 51 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, three steals, and one block while shooting 17-of-31 from the floor and 9-of-14 shooting from beyond the three-point line.
In addition to that, Austin Reaves put up 30 points, Deandre Ayton finished with 23, LeBron James had 18, and Rui Hachimura had 15. It was an all-around dominant scoring performance.
But it was a dominant scoring performance against the Bulls, who are very clearly not a playoff-caliber team. And at the same time, the Lakers struggled to slow anything down on the other end.
Once the playoffs come around, the Lakers are going to have to go through teams with much more talent than the Bulls. They’ll square off against offenses with so much more firepower.
The 130 points Chicago put up on them isn’t great, and if it weren’t for Doncic’s 51-point night, the Lakers may not have been able to get the job done.
But they did. At the end of the day, the Lakers walked away with a victory, and Doncic enjoyed a phenomenal night of basketball. But looking at the big picture, this may shed light on what could be in store for LA come playoff time.
They can’t afford to give up 130-point nights in the playoffs. Because, for as great as Doncic is, he’s not going to give them a 50-ball every game. It’s just not a consistent winning strategy.