All articles tagged with #luka doncic
The Lakers face a high-stakes choice: push Luka Doncic back from a left-hamstring injury and decide how long to rely on Austin Reaves’ oblique strain, weighing a potential playoff run against the danger of re-injury or longer-term damage and the implications for Reaves’ upcoming contract.
The Athletic’s 2026 Anonymous NBA Player Poll shows Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the MVP frontrunner, with Nikola Jokic a strong second and Luka Dončić also in the mix; Victor Wembanyama did not crack the top five. SGA is averaging 31.1 PPG for a Thunder team with the league’s best defense, while Jokic sits at 27.8 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 10.9 APG. If SGA wins, he would be the first back-to-back MVP winner since Jokic in 2021–22.
Mark Cuban says he does not regret selling the Dallas Mavericks in 2023, but regrets the buyers—Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont—for diminishing his influence after the sale. He still owns 27% of the team and expected to remain a basketball decision-maker, but Dumont’s governance limited that; the Luka Doncic trade occurred under Dumont’s watch in 2025, underscoring the shift in control as the Mavericks have struggled (24-50 this season).
Mark Cuban says his only major regret after selling the Mavericks isn’t the sale itself but whom he sold to—Miriam Adelson’s family—and he also criticizes the decision to trade Luka Dončić, calling it a consequence of internal tensions and biased front-office dynamics.
Luka Doncic will miss Monday’s game against the Wizards after receiving his 16th technical foul, a one-game suspension the piece argues is the best possible timing for the Lakers as Washington’s tanking posture and poor current form give LA a favorable chance to win. The Lakers still push for a top-three seed with tougher tests ahead (Cavaliers, Thunder, Mavericks), and Austin Reaves and LeBron James are expected to carry more of the load in Doncic’s absence. The league won’t rescind the technical, and Doncic should return soon, but this break could help LA fine-tune for a stretch run that could define their playoff positioning.
Luka Doncic scored 41 points and earned his 16th technical foul as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 116-99.
The Lakers, missing several regulars, dominated the Pacers for most of the game with LeBron James delivering 23 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. JaVale Hayes added a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double and Austin Reaves scored 25 as Los Angeles weathered a fourth-quarter lull. The piece also notes Luka Dončić’s 43-point night for Dallas in the same report.
The Lakers fought back from an early deficit but fell to the Pistons, with Luka Dončić scoring 32 and LeBron James nearly posting a triple-double while Austin Reaves added 24 points. Deandre Ayton posted a double-double and Jackson Hayes provided strong defense; the outing showcased the Lakers’ resilience and growth, but the loss snapped a streak and underscored the need to monitor heavy minutes for their stars entering the postseason.
The Lakers’ 113–110 loss to Detroit came after a nine-game stretch that boosted their offense, defense, and net rating, leaving L.A. poised for a deep postseason run. LeBron James is playing a more restrained, playmaking role while Deandre Ayton anchors the defense and other role players like Reaves, Hachimura, and Kennard help stretch the floor. Although Luka Dončić’s scoring feats for Dallas loom in the MVP conversation context, the Lakers’ blend of star power and stifling defense has them entering the playoffs believing they can navigate a Western Conference gauntlet that could include Houston in the first round and potential battles with Wembanyama and Holmgren in later rounds.
The NBA league office overturned Luka Dončić’s 16th technical foul, sparing him an automatic one-game suspension after a heated double-technical exchange with Goga Bitadze in the Lakers’ 105-104 win over the Magic. Dončić said Bitadze insulted his family, but officials ruled the incident did not warrant a season-altering penalty, leaving him at 15 technicals as Los Angeles rides a nine-game win streak into a key matchup.
Lakers star Luka Doncic earned his 16th technical foul of the season after a heated exchange with Orlando’s Goga Bitadze, which could trigger a one-game suspension unless the league rescinds it; Bitadze disputes Doncic’s account and says the two were taunting each other, with officials citing mutual taunting during the sequence that decided the 105-104 win.
Luka Dončić is set to miss the Lakers’ road game vs Detroit after earning his 16th technical foul of the season in Saturday’s win at Orlando; LA has appealed to rescind the foul, arguing officials should have warned earlier. Dončić, who remains one of the NBA's top players with about 33.4 points, 8.4 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game, helped LA extend a nine-game win streak. If the 16th T stands, he would begin a suspension pattern of one game per two techs for the rest of the season, though the Lakers still have 11 regular-season games remaining.
Luke Kennard drilled a go-ahead 3 with 2.6 seconds left to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 105-104 win over the Orlando Magic, in a wild finish that also saw LeBron James move into the NBA's all-time games played and Luka Dončić pace the game with 33 points.
A Defector column argues that the Los Angeles Lakers deserve serious consideration as a legitimate contender this season, despite a narrative dominated by bigger storylines, injuries, and distractions, with LeBron’s status and surrounding drama shaping the conversation while star-level performances elsewhere—like Luka Doncic’s—highlight the Lakers’ ongoing potential.
Luka Dončić followed up a 60-point Miami game with another high-scoring performance the night before, finishing a back-to-back with 100 points, 16 rebounds, 13 assists and six steals across 76 minutes, boosting him to No. 2 in the Kia MVP Ladder behind Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander as the Lakers push for a top-four seed.