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Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
Slovenian guard Luka Doncic has warned the rest of the NBA that something “beautiful” is brewing with the Los Angeles Lakers, who won their seventh straight game by defeating the Houston Rockets, 124-116, on Wednesday.
After the win, Doncic, who finished with 40 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, explained why the Lakers genuinely believe they can win the NBA title this year.
“It’s an amazing feel, honestly. I love winning,” Doncic told Spectrum SportsNet.
“Everything is better when you’re winning. We have great chemistry, we have a great team. This is just the start of something beautiful.”
Lakers Win Seven in a Row
The most impressive aspect of the Lakers’ ongoing seven-game winning streak is the caliber of opponents they’ve defeated. JJ Redick’s team has beaten the Houston Rockets (41-27) twice, the Denver Nuggets (42-28), the Minnesota Timberwolves (43-27) and the New York Knicks (45-26) — five teams with records above .600.
Redick showered Doncic with praise for his performance on Wednesday.
“I thought he definitely put on a clinic down the stretch,” Redick said of Doncic, via Broderick Turner of LA Times.
“Whether it was in isolation, versus fires in isolations, versus the shock with (Alperen) Segun, he just got us good offense whether for himself or for his teammates every single time down the floor….We moved the basketball, so that kind of got us going and then when Luka came back in he was just fantastic.”
One of the key factors behind the Lakers’ win streak has been LeBron James’ willingness to take on the role of a screener, cutter, rim runner, and defensive anchor. In Wednesday’s win, though, James turned back the clock with a strong 30-point performance on 13-of-14 shooting from the field. In the process, he became the oldest player in NBA history to score at least 30 points on 90% shooting.
LeBron James Makes History
“Look, he was awesome tonight and I think two, part of the evolution of him on this team has been, particularly in this stretch, it’s just been his patience,” Redick said of James, while praising the 41-year-old for taking a lesser role on the Lakers.
“His patience, knowing he’s going to get the ball and he’s going to have transition opportunities and he’s going to have plays called for him and he’s going to play off-ball and get a corner three…He was great.”
Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant said he is no longer “surprised” by James’ ability to beat Father Time and put up historic performances as a 41-year-old.
“I’m not surprised anymore,” Durant said of James, via ESPN. “I mean, he’s a freak athlete. He’s a generational athlete. He cares and loves the game. Cares about his body. This is what he does. He’s built for this, you know what I’m saying? Since he was a kid.
“I think he could play until he’s 45 years old. I don’t know if he wants to be around that long, but I think he could play for another four to five more years, to be honest. And so yeah, it’s not a surprise anymore. I mean, his age, he is 41, but he looks great out there.”
The Lakers aim to extend their winning streak in an away game against the Miami Heat on Thursday. Their road trip will continue with stops in Orlando, Detroit, and Indiana in the coming days before they return home to face the Brooklyn Nets next Friday.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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