Luka Doncic “aces” every test he faces, declared JJ Redick after the Slovenian led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 126-99 rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Doncic scored 30 points and shot 5-of-11 from beyond the arc while adding seven rebounds and six assists, as the Thunder suffered back-to-back losses for just the second time this season.
Los Angeles also received 19 points and seven assists from LeBron James as they boosted their hopes of holding onto the Western Conference’s third seed.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 points and nine assists for the Thunder, who retain the NBA’s best record at 64-14.
Doncic has now had 13 30-point performances since arriving in a high-profile trade from the Dallas Mavericks, and head coach Redick believes he is virtually undefendable.
“Luka relishes the challenge,” Redick said. “You’re going to get the best defender every night, all the different coverages, when you’re him.
“Similar to LeBron, similar to [Luka] Jokic, similar to Shai – these guys have seen every test and figured out how to pass each one.
“A lot of times, they don’t just pass the test, they ace it. Luka did some special things tonight.”
Final Stats
Luka: 30 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast, 2 stlAR: 20 pts, 2 reb, 3 astBron: 19 pts, 3 reb, 7 astDorian: 14 pts, 7 reb, 2 astGabe: 12 pts, 3 reb, 3 astRui: 11 pts, 7 reb pic.twitter.com/UK9xwFRajM
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 6, 2025
Redick was also pleased with the Lakers’ defensive efforts, saying: “I thought we were very connected in both intent and spirit on both ends of the floor.
“Our commitment to what we were trying to do defensively and offensively stood out. We did a really good job on the glass.
“Several of our turnovers were dead-ball turnovers, which allowed us to set our defense. Timely fouls were also key to stopping their momentum.”
The Lakers face the Thunder again on Tuesday before finishing the regular season with games against the Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers.
They are 1.5 games ahead of the slumping Denver Nuggets, who sit fourth in the Western Conference standings.
