Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

Luka Doncic scored 29 points and dished out 9 assists, and Dalton Knecht added 19 points off the bench, including connecting on five three-pointers. The Los Angeles Lakers won their 6th straight game, beating the crosstown Clippers 108-102. The Clippers were led in the loss by Kawhi Leonard’s 33 points and 10 boards. The Lakers will look to continue their winning ways Tuesday night when the New Orleans Pelicans come to town.

Lakers, LA Lakers, Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Rui, Hachimura Austin Reeves, Dalton Knecht, NBA, Lakers Post cast, JJ Redick, Dave Palet, Lakers vs Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers

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Rui Hachimura was in street clothes with a knee injury, Austin Reaves left the game with a sore calf after only nine minutes. 

So the Lakers needed their stars to play big on Friday night against the Clippers, and both stepped up. Luka Dončić finished with 31 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, while LeBron James added 28 points with 13 rebounds. Behind them, the rest of the team made meaningful contributions and it was enough for another win, 106-102. The Lakers are now 37-21, a game back of Denver for the 2nd seed in the Western Conference. 

Luka's not fully clicking yet, the team is still figuring out a lot offensively... and they keep winning. But what's clear is the defensive identity they've built seems to work with basically anyone on the floor. Friday, they got meaningful minutes from Dalton Knecht, Jordan Goodwin and Trey Jemison III. Dorian Finney-Smith stepped into the starting lineup. That's a decent amount of change to absorb for one game on the second night of a back-to-back facing a quality team that had its second star (Kawhi Leonard) in uniform. 

There are reasons optimism is starting to grow, and they appear legit. 

Meanwhile, the injuries to Hachimura (evaluated again in a week) and Reaves (they're still checking, but didn't seem terribly concerned) aren't currently seen as that bad. And even if they're a little shorthanded in the near term, the Lakers have built up some cushion in the West. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

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All things considered, Luka Dončić hasn't played all that well in his six games since the Lakers acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks. There were highlights, for sure, but remember, he's Luka Dončić. The bar is pretty high. 

And yet... the Lakers won again. This time, 111-102 over the (admittedly shorthanded) Wolves. They're now 4-2 since the trade, and 36-21 overall, a game back of Denver for the 3-seed, and 1.5 behind Memphis for the 2. They've won four in a row heading into a pair of home games (Friday and Sunday) against the Clippers. The conventional wisdom (not accepted in this space, it should be noted) was that the Lakers in making the deal took a step backwards for this season in service of the future. What's happening instead is the Lakers continue rising up the standings, remaining one of the NBA's hottest teams while Luka, in his own words, is playing poorly. This has to frighten rivals around the conference, because at some point, whether tonight against the LAC, Sunday or two weeks from now, Dončić is going to morph back into himself. And then what happens? 

Because the Lakers have shown they can defend, logging a fifth straight game holding an opponent around 100 points. If the offense starts clicking—and in this context "clicking" kinda just means Luka starts hitting shots—it should allow the Lakers more space to breathe from game to game. Margin for error actually works for them, not against. 

So maybe it means the Lakers before it's all said and done can finish in the top four, and earn home court for the first round. What it does in the meantime is afford them some breathing room for games like tonight, when some combo of Rui Hachimura (knee), LeBron James (hamstring), Jaxson Hayes (hip), Jarred Vanderbilt and Luka (neither guy has been playing back-to-backs). There is no need to push guys through injuries, because they're not fighting just to stay in the play-in zone, as it was the last couple of seasons. If the Lakers, who have been pushing very hard defensively to get the results they have, need to dial it back a little to preserve legs for the playoffs, they've got the space to do it. 

This stuff matters. LA has shown it can defend. It's hard to believe they won't get better offensively with time. 

And because of that, everyone from fans, media and (most importantly) the Lakers themselves are looking at the rest of this season with a new sense of potential. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers win, despite struggles from Luka. 

SEGMENT 2: 33 from James! 

SEGMENT 3: Breathing room for LA while Luka gets his shot back. 

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LeBron James scored 33 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, and Luka Doncic added 21 points and 13 boards as the Los Angeles Lakers won their fourth game in a row with a 111-102 win over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves were led by Terrance Shannon Jr.’s 25 off the bench but were forced to play the majority of the second half without Anthony Edwards, who was ejected in the third quarter after receiving his second technical foul. The Lakers will look to extend their win streak Friday night when they host the crosstown rival Clippers.

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At this point, everyone knows why the Dallas Mavericks, and specifically Nico Harrison, felt they needed to trade Luka Dončić. They didn't think he was a wise investment, given his questionable fitness and reportedly tenuous relationship with nutrition. 

Harrison said as much in his comments to the media following the deal. 

And now, Sam Amick at The Athletic reports that sources with the Mavs are again trashing Luka's rep, using the game on Tuesday night—Luka's first against the Mavs—as the entry point to again try and justify their position. Sources talked to Amick about beer drinking and hookah smoking. They talked about food choices and risk. 

Most people think Harrison is a fool for doing what he did. But there's no mystery at this point as to why he made the decision he did. And talking about it more can't possibly be good for the Mavericks. It's not winning the PR battle, because fans find Harrison's explanation no more compelling now than they did at the beginning of the month. It's not winning battles with players, because you'd better believe great players are watching how Dallas treated Luka, here, and what they're spilling about his time in Dallas. 

But these are Dallas problems. 

There is, actually, one party that benefits from this continued attack on Luka's commitment to winning (because that's ultimately what Dallas is questioning) and it's the Lakers. Because if Luka is as petty and competitive as others have made him out to be, he'll want to absolutely torch the league in response to what Dallas has done. He'll want not only to score a bunch of points, drop crazy dimes and post big rebounding numbers, Dončić will want to stay in shape and play a ton of games just out of spite. 

Which is fine with the Lakers. Whatever motivates him to keep his body right. 

Lakers fans broke out into a "Thank you, Nico" chat Tuesday at Staples. But if the Mavs insist on carrying on with this post-trade campaign to justify the move, Laker Nation might need to send along a fruit basket or something, because Dallas is only giving Luka more incentive to do what the they say he can't or won't. 

It's a great deal for the Lakers, who just need to give Dončić the space he needs to reclaim his 5x All-NBA form. If he only fulfills his talent in LA out of spite? Well, it's still Luka hitting his ceiling, which as we know is incredibly high. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

SEGMENT 1: Why won't the Mavs stop trashing Luka? 

SEGMENT 2: What it does for the Lakers. 

SEGMENT 3: LeBron has cranked up the D. 

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• Offer valid from 9:00 AM PT through 11:59 PM PT after a 50 point performance in any game during the NBA season on orders placed at participating merchant locations. Valid only in the United States. Maximum value of discount is $10.00. Discount applies to subtotal only; does not apply to fees, taxes, and gratuity. Not valid for pickup. Limit one per person. Not valid for the purchase of alcohol. Fees, taxes, and gratuity still apply. Must have an active DashPass account. Use promo code NBA50 to redeem. See further terms and conditions at https://drd.sh/8ONpZP/.

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In the first half of Tuesday's 107-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Crypt, it looked like the Luka Dončić revenge game people expected to see (punishing the team that didn't just trade him, but badmouthed him on the way out of Texas) would be something that might end up on the Mt. Rushmore of revenge games. Luka was near a triple double before the halftime buzzer. 

The second half was a little slower. The emotional output this game generated—and clearly Luka was keyed up for this one a level or three above normal—cost him some legs down the stretch. So the final result was just a perfectly satisfying, run-of-the-mill revenge game. Dončić got his first trip-dub as a Laker, and more importantly, the Lakers got another win, their eighth in their last 10. 

After the game, Luka was asked if the game brought him any closure. His answer probably surprised people. No, he said, because it's going to take time. Closure for something like this doesn't happen overnight. It's a reminder not only that it's a process for Luka to figure out how to play with LeBron James and Austin Reaves, or to absorb JJ Redick's system offensively and learn the assignments on the other end. It's also an adjustment personally. He lives in a different city. Has a different routine. All the stuff that was totally normal in Dallas isn't in Los Angeles. 

Yes, Luka has all the resources a person could have to help him adjust. But he's still a person, and this was still a massive life upheaval. 

So for the Lakers to keep winning, to keep building confidence and putting some down some decent film (as they did on Tuesday in the first half and fourth quarters, especially) is extremely promising. To continue holding opponents right around 100 points, as they did for the fourth straight game Tuesday night, has to build confidence. This is the transition period, not the part where you'd expect the new-look Lakers to be reaching wherever their ceiling happens to be. 

The brutal stretch of games continues Thursday against Minnesota, followed by a pair of tough games against the Clippers. March's schedule is cartoonishly hard. And where it might have seemed like a threat a couple months ago, now it's likely Lakers fans are excited at what's to come. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Luka trip-dubs as LA beats Dallas. 

SEGMENT 2: LeBron blows up in the fourth quarter. 

SEGMENT 3: Contributions up and down the roster. 

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• Offer valid from 9:00 AM PT through 11:59 PM PT after a 50 point performance in any game during the NBA season on orders placed at participating merchant locations. Valid only in the United States. Maximum value of discount is $10.00. Discount applies to subtotal only; does not apply to fees, taxes, and gratuity. Not valid for pickup. Limit one per person. Not valid for the purchase of alcohol. Fees, taxes, and gratuity still apply. Must have an active DashPass account. Use promo code NBA50 to redeem. See further terms and conditions at https://drd.sh/8ONpZP/.

FanDuel
Right now, new FanDuel customers can get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins!Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.
 

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LeBron James scored 27 points including 16 in the 4th quarter and Luka Doncic had a triple double against his former team totaling 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers downed the Dallas Mavericks 107-99. The Mavericks were led in the loss by Kyrie Irving’s 35 and Klay Thompson’s 22. The Lakers will look to extend their 3-game winning streak Thursday night against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.

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• Here are a few ways you can take advantage of this deal:
• · Game-Day Feast: After an epic 50-point performance, celebrate by ordering wings, pizza, or burgers from your favorite spot—delivered straight to your door.
• · Late-Night Cravings: Whether you're staying up watching highlights or just need a midnight snack, use DashPass to grab something delicious while saving big.
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• Sign up for DashPass and be ready to save. When any player scores 50 or more in a game, DashPass members get 50% off an order the next day—up to $10 off. Just use promo code NBA50 from noon to midnight after a 50-point game on eligible orders at participating merchants. Must have an active DashPass account. Terms apply. Visit DoorDash to learn more!

FAN DUEL 

• When the game tips off, the NBA action is just getting started—and there’s no better place to get in on it than FanDuel, America’s Number ONE Sportsbook!
• TRANSITION:
• With FanDuel, you can place live bets throughout the game, so even if you miss the opening tip-off or want to bet on a fourth-quarter comeback, you can stay in the action. And if you’re looking for a bigger payout, you can even combine your live bets into a Same Game Parlay.
• Example: I love using FanDuel’s live betting feature because it keeps every moment of the game exciting. Whether I’m backing my team for a late-game rally or picking a player to hit a clutch three, I never feel like I missed my chance. Plus, the app is easy to use, and when you win, you get paid instantly!
• Right now, new FanDuel customers can get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins! Just visit FANDUEL DOT COM to join today. That’s FANDUEL DOT COM for your shot at ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Bonus Bets.
• Make every moment more with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA.

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Today’s NBA West Squad Show focuses on the Lakers' recent success with Luka Doncic, the Nuggets' winning streak, and the Thunder's impressive performance. The hosts analyze how the Lakers' new lineup impacts their playoff prospects and debate the legitimacy of the Nuggets' recent wins. They also explore the Thunder's defensive prowess and potential matchups against top teams. The conversation shifts to the struggling Phoenix Suns, discussing their questionable trades and management decisions. Throughout the episode, the hosts provide insightful commentary on team dynamics, player performances, and the evolving landscape of the Western Conference.

0:00 Intro: Mavericks face former player

5:35 Lakers' transformation with Luka Doncic

9:47 Thunder and Nuggets: Recent performances analyzed

15:13 Role players' impact in playoff matchups

20:35 Suns' decline and uncertain future

26:05 Rebuilding strategies and asset management

30:43 Thunder's organizational success and transparency

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No star is perfect. All are vulnerable to some form of criticism. 

For Luka Donċić, it's his conditioning and his defense, both of which have frequently been called into question over the course of his already stellar career. But while those two potential shortcomings are now a problem for the Lakers to deal with, they likely won't help the Mavericks Tuesday night at the Crypt. Because one thing everyone agrees on? Luka is a very, very competitive man, and ain't above holding a grudge. 

He will be ready to punish Dallas and GM Nico Harrison not only for the shocking trade that sent him to LA, but for badmouthing him on the way out of town, too. 

But this game is about more than just Luka's revenge—though make no mistake, everyone has their popcorn ready. Tuesday against the Mavs is a chance to validate the results of Saturday's huge win in Denver. If the Lakers come out and once again, Luka, LeBron James and Austin Reaves all look like they not only can co-exist, but thrive sharing a court? If the Lakers, facing a seriously depleted Mavs squad, can once again hold an opponent around 100 points? That'll do a tremendous amount to show what we saw over the weekend is the direction the team is going, as opposed to a blip. It will send the signal that the Lakers really should be considered in the top tier of Western Conference teams, a group currently led by Oklahoma City and then Memphis and Denver. It will help internally for a Lakers team that rightly feels good about itself, but also understands that time is not necessarily on their side. The amount of synergy they have to create in a few short weeks is a challenge, given how many more reps the opposition has been able to pile up all season. 

LA doesn't have a lot of time to reach its ceiling, so the confidence that comes with coming through in "prove it" games can't be discounted. This is a mental exercise for the Lakers as much as physical. It's not surprising to see James talk about execution this week. But where before it was framed more as a threat—the Lakers have to execute because they have no margin for error—now it's an opportunity. 

James was essentially saying that this team has the intellectual capacity to design and execute a game plan even without having a ton of time together. Their IQ is a strength that will help them jump the line. 

So that's a lot to think about on Tuesday night, and nobody will blink if you'd rather just pop some corn and see if Luka can drop a 50 spot on his former employers. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Luka is ready for his revenge. 

SEGMENT 2: LeBron talks about execution. 

SEGMENT 3: NO MORE CITY CONNECT JERSEYS!

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Introducing LeBron Ready to Hand LA to Luka? | Embiid’s Career in Jeopardy? | Do the Knicks’ Have a Thibs Issue? from Locked On NBA – Daily Podcast On The National Basketball Association.

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Luka Doncic just put the Western Conference on notice, but are the Lakers actually a serious threat, or is this just another midseason mirage? We break down their latest statement win and whether LeBron is ready to fully hand over the reins. Meanwhile, things are getting dark in Philly—Joel Embiid’s knee problems may force the Sixers to shut him down for the season, but could this be the end of his time in Philadelphia altogether?

In New York, the Knicks' struggles against top-tier teams continue, dropping back-to-back games to the Celtics and Cavs. Is this a roster issue, a coaching issue, or are they simply not built to contend? Plus, we dive into Channing Frye’s claim that 90s nostalgia is killing the NBA—does idolizing Jordan and Kobe take away from appreciating today’s stars?

We also take a look at the teams actually trending in the right direction: The Thunder, Celtics, and Cavs all made major statements coming out of the All-Star break, but which team sent the loudest message?

All that and more on today’s episode of Locked On NBA, featuring insights from Locked On Lakers, Locked On Sixers, Locked On Knicks, Locked On Nuggets, and more!

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DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].