Doncic triumphant in Lakers debut
LOS ANGELES—Luka Doncic had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in his Lakers debut as Los Angeles beat the Utah Jazz 132-113 on Monday night.
Doncic was the last starter introduced by the Los Angeles Lakers, an honor normally reserved for LeBron James. When Doncic jogged into the spotlight on a darkened court through a cordon of his new teammates, his new fans stood and roared while wearing thousands of gold T-shirts with his name and number.
Even a young superstar could feel the magnificence of the moment.
“I was a little nervous before,” Doncic said. “I [don’t remember] the last time I was nervous before the game. But once I stepped on the court again, it was fun. Just being out there, it felt amazing.”
James had 24 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, Austin Reaves scored 22 and the Lakers got their sixth straight win.
Shock trade
Doncic, acquired in a shocking trade from the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 2, played for the first time since sustaining a calf strain on Christmas. He was limited to just under 24 minutes as a precaution and was able to sit out the fourth quarter with his new team in complete control, but still had several standout moments to help the surging Lakers get their 12 victory in 14 games.
“Just the amount of cheering there was in the arena was absolutely unbelievable,” Doncic, who played his first game since straining his calf on Christmas day, said. “That was my favorite part—and to play again.”
Buoyed by its new superstar, Los Angeles had seven players reach double figures.
