WASHINGTON – Luka Doncic's latest triple-double came before the first half even ended.
Doncic had 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in the first two quarters as the Los Angeles Lakers raced out to a 29-point halftime lead over the Washington Wizards on Friday night. He finished with 37 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, and the Lakers won 142-111.
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“It's not easy for sure. It might look easy but it's not easy,” Doncic said. “It feels good to have that going.”
Doncic was questionable for the game with ankle soreness after landing awkwardly during Wednesday night’s loss at Cleveland, but he was able to start. Austin Reaves (calf) remained out for the Lakers.
Doncic shot 9 of 13 from the field in the first half with five 3-pointers. His 10th rebound came in the waning seconds of the second quarter.
“It's hard to describe, because most of us can't fathom being that good,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “It's destructive to the other team when you're basically coming across halfcourt and having to send a second defender, and we're playing 4 on 3.”
Doncic is the only player since at least 1997 to reach at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the first half of a game. He's now done it twice — he had 29, 10 and 10 against Utah on Dec. 6, 2023, when he was playing for Dallas.
The last time a player had a triple-double in the first half, according to Sportradar, was when Jalen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks did it Dec. 5. Johnson had 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in the half.
Although Doncic's night was a statistical marvel, it was 41-year-old LeBron James who provided the visual highlights, with a one-handed alley-oop dunk in the first half, a reverse alley-oop dunk in the third quarter, and then a play when he blew past 7-foot-1 Alex Sarr — one of the league's top shot blockers — for another dunk.
“I enjoy good dunk shots, yeah,” Redick deadpanned when asked if he could appreciate highlight-reel moments during the game. "The one we ran out of the timeout where (Deandre Ayton) threw it to him, that was very satisfactory to the eyes. You allow yourself maybe two-and-a-half seconds, and you move on to the next play.
“The one on Sarr — that one for sure popped. That was unexpected.”
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