Out like a lion: Luka totals 600 points in March; Lakers go 15-2

LOS ANGELES — Following the Lakers’ 127-113 victory against the Cavaliers on Tuesday, where Luka Doncic contributed 42 points and 12 assists, coach JJ Redick lauded his star player for an exceptional performance throughout March.

Redick remarked, “Luka’s performance this month, I believe, stands out as one of the best I’ve witnessed in the contemporary NBA, at least during my time in the league.”

This marked Doncic’s third consecutive game with 40 or more points, bringing his total for March to 600 points. This achievement places him alongside Michael Jordan (1987) as the sole players to hit this milestone in March, and he becomes just the tenth player ever to score 600 points in a single month.

Doncic’s remarkable dominance was mirrored by the Lakers’ team performance, as they concluded the month with an impressive 15-2 record.

When questioned about his scoring outburst, Doncic stated, “Individual statistics are meaningless without victories. Therefore, the successful streak we’ve achieved carries significant weight.”

In this game, Doncic not only surpassed 15,000 career points but also vastly outshone Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, who managed only 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting and six assists. It was another display worthy of MVP consideration from Doncic.

Yet, he again chose not to publicly endorse himself for the prestigious award.

“I’ve never done that before,” Doncic explained. “I don’t cast the votes. … However, I believe my performance has been quite strong, and we’ve been accumulating victories. That’s simply all I have to offer.”

The victory against the Cavaliers held significance beyond just Doncic’s achievements.

This game marked LeBron James’ 1,229th career win (combining regular season and playoffs), allowing him to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and claim the record for the most wins by any player in NBA history.

Furthermore, it was Redick’s 100th coaching victory, making him the first Lakers coach since Phil Jackson to lead the team to 50 wins in consecutive seasons.

Redick humbly stated, “I don’t believe I merit being compared to figures like Phil [Jackson] or Pat [Riley] or others of that caliber. I certainly have much more to achieve. … My coaching staff has remained largely consistent over these two years. I attribute our success to our resilience and determination.”

The team is nearing the end of their regular season schedule, having secured a playoff spot on Tuesday with six games still to play. Among these remaining fixtures, two crucial matchups are against the Oklahoma City Thunder, commencing with a road game on Thursday.

Similar to how the Lakers avenged their earlier 30-point loss to Cleveland with Tuesday’s improved performance, they now have an opportunity to retaliate for two previous defeats against the Thunder this season, one of which was a 29-point blowout.

While Doncic and the Lakers showcased exceptional form in March, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder were equally formidable, boasting a 14-1 record for the month, with the current MVP averaging 30.7 points on 56.8% shooting along with 6.6 assists.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves commented, “This is a very thrilling matchup. They are clearly the reigning champions, performing at an elite level, and undoubtedly one of the top teams in the league, perhaps even *the* best. We now have the chance to travel to OKC and compete against them.”