L.A. Updates: Doncic, Goodwin, Leonard, Bogdanovic
After a slow start with the Lakers, Luka Doncic delivered a standout performance in Saturday night’s victory over Denver, showing flashes of his dominant form. Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports that Doncic erupted for 16 points in the first quarter and finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals in a matchup between two of the Western Conference’s top teams. More notably, he displayed a level of intensity and passion not seen since his trade to Los Angeles.
“He was super dialed in,” LeBron James said. “He was very locked in on what he wanted to do out here on the floor tonight. Once he started hitting those stepback threes and got to yelling and barking—either at the fans, at us, or himself—he was just locked in on executing his game plan.”
Lakers coach J.J. Redick had encouraged Doncic before the game to have “at least one blackout episode” where he yells without a specific target, recognizing that his fiery competitiveness is a key part of his greatness. Buha notes that Doncic controlled the ball more frequently on Saturday, often targeting Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in pick-and-roll situations. Moving forward, Redick plans to keep the offense in Doncic’s hands as much as possible.
“I think Luka needs to be the guy that controls the offense,” Redick said. “And (LeBron) and (Austin Reaves), because we’re gonna stagger everybody, they’ll have their moments on the ball. But all three of those guys are very intelligent basketball players, and we can create mismatches. We can get teams in the blender.”
Meanwhile, Jordan Goodwin has been a productive addition since signing a two-way contract with the Lakers earlier this month. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report suggests the team may consider converting his deal to a standard contract before the season ends, making him eligible for the playoffs. However, L.A. would need to clear a roster spot, with Cam Reddish being the most likely candidate for release. Goodwin, who signed on February 7, can be active for 19 games before the Lakers must make a decision.
On the Clippers’ side, Kawhi Leonard was added to the injury report for Sunday’s game in Indiana due to left foot soreness—his first new injury of the season—while Norman Powell is also listed as questionable, per Law Murray of The Athletic.
In addition, Ben Simmons is expected to play against Indiana but will sit out Monday’s matchup in Detroit. Despite being new teammates, Simmons and Bogdan Bogdanovic have already developed strong on-court chemistry. Bogdanovic attributes their quick connection to their natural feel for the game.
“We are basketball players at the end of the day, so we just play,” Bogdanovic said. “It’s tough when you’re joining a new team—you have to learn plays, learn tendencies—but since we’re both new, that actually makes the process a little easier.”
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