Category: NBA

Coming into March, the Lakers were floating adrift, fresh off three demoralizing losses to the Celtics, Magic and Suns and staring the toughest stretch of the season in the face.

The Lakers exit March having loudly declared they are a legitimate contender. According to Positive Residual, they had the second-most games and the 10th-hardest schedule in March.

They finished the month with a 15-2 record. The two losses coming to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Nuggets in Denver. Those were offset by a revenge win over Denver and victories over the Knicks, Wolves, Rockets and Cavs, all teams in the playoffs.

It’s on a short list for the best months the team has had since the 2019-20 season and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

31 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 4-8 FG, 1-3 3PT, 5-6 FT, +4

It was a very loud 14 points for LeBron, who had one of the highlights of the month with his big alley-oop slam off Austin Reaves’ alley-oop. We’ve come a long way this season with Austin’s alley-oops, too.

Grade: B+

Jake LaRavia

38 minutes, 14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 5-5 FG, 2-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, +23

One of Jake’s best games in months. It was great to see him knock down multiple threes. When he scores, it feels like such a huge boost because of everything else he does.

Grade: A

Deandre Ayton

28 minutes, 18 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 foul, 8-13 FG, 2-3 FT, +10

Speaking of great games from role players, Ayton came up against one of the toughest frontcourts in the league and held his own.

Grade: A-

Austin Reaves

37 minutes, 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 5 turnovers, 3 fouls, 6-16 FG, 2-9 3PT, 5-5 FT, +4

While his shooting left a lot to be desired and he had some perplexing turnovers — he really loved a wild behind-the-back pass tonight — it does feel like Austin is in a better rhtyhm and has a better feel for his role as the month comes to an end.

Grade: B+

Luka Dončić

34 minutes, 42 points, 5 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals, 4 fouls, 13-26 FG, 6-13 3PT, 10-10 FT, +21

Luka caps off an incredible month of March with a fitting finale. Having him come in during a shaky fourth quarter and bludgeon a bunch of Cavs reserves to put the game to rest was a lot of fun, too.

Grade: A+

Rui Hachimura

19 minutes, 14 points, 1 rebound, 1 block, 1 foul, 6-8 FG, 2-3 3PT, +10

Back-to-back solid games from Rui, who hopefully has found his shooting touch again. The lack of rebounding is a bit easier to swallow when Austin, Luka and Jake combine for 18. But you still want more.

Grade: A-

Luke Kennard

23 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 1-2 FG, +4

After a strong showing against Washington, Tuesday was a much quieter one for Luke.

Grade: C-

Jaxson Hayes

19 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2-4 FG, +9

Similarly, Hayes followed up his great game on Monday with a so-so one against the Cavs. The good news is the Lakers aren’t reliant on him to be good, a change from last year.

Grade: C+

Bronny James, Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht, Drew Timme, Kobe Bufkin

Bronny played more than the rest of the group, getting a rotation in the first half where he didn’t do much statistically but played really nice defense during that stretch.

JJ Redick

Another largely solid game from JJ. I specifically liked him throwing out a zone defense in the second half amidst their strong run in the third quarter. That being said, I thought he stuck with it a little too much once Cleveland figured it out.

But considering the Lakers won this game by 20, I think it was a small thing on a great night.

Grade: B+

Tuesday’s DNPs: Maxi Kleber, Jarred Vanderbilt

Tuesday’s inactives: Chris Mañon, Nick Smith Jr., Marcus Smart

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Los Angeles Lakers (50-26, third in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (60-16, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles plays the Oklahoma City Thunder after Luka Doncic scored 42 points in the Lakers' 127-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Thunder have gone 37-9 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City is fourth in the NBA with 34.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Chet Holmgren averaging 7.0.

The Lakers are 30-16 in conference matchups. Los Angeles is sixth in the Western Conference scoring 116.8 points per game and is shooting 50.2%.

The Thunder score 118.6 points per game, 3.9 more points than the 114.7 the Lakers give up. The Lakers average 11.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 fewer made shots on average than the 14.4 per game the Thunder give up.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Thunder won the last meeting 119-110 on Feb. 10, with Jalen Williams scoring 23 points in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.6 points and 6.5 assists for the Thunder. Holmgren is averaging 14.0 points over the last 10 games.

Doncic is averaging 33.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.6 steals for the Lakers. Austin Reaves is averaging 19.9 points and 5.5 assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 9-1, averaging 117.4 points, 45.8 rebounds, 24.3 assists, 9.4 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.1 points per game.

Lakers: 9-1, averaging 120.0 points, 41.3 rebounds, 25.0 assists, 9.5 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 52.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.9 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Jalen Williams: day to day (injury management), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee), Isaiah Hartenstein: day to day (injury management).

Lakers: Marcus Smart: day to day (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Everything has gone wrong for the Golden State Warriors this season. They resolved a bit of in-house drama with the Jonathon Kuminga trade, but they’ve been without Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler since before the All Star break. Butler is out for the foreseeable future with a torn ACL, while Curry has been dealing with a knee ailment of his own and hasn’t played since the end of January. Without those two guys, Golden State’s already slim margin of competing with the league’s best becomes nonexistent. They’re going to play some extra basketball in the play-in thanks to an 11-game cushion between them and the 11th spot West team and Curry is expected to return soon, but no one is expecting them to make any serious noise as presently constructed.

The San Antonio Spurs meanwhile continue to roll along towards the end of the regular season. They’ve lost just 2 games since the beginning of February, solidifying themselves alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder as the two preeminent squads in the league as the playoffs approach. Tonight’s game is the first on their very last road trip of the regular season, a 3-game trek that starts in California and ends in Denver. They’re on the cusp of their first 60-win season since 2016-2017 and with the #1 seed very much still up for grabs, don’t expect them to ease up now.

San Antonio Spurs (54-18) at Golden State Warriors (36-39)
April 1 2026 | 9:00 PM CT
Watch: ESPN | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: David Jones-Garcia, OUT

Warriors Injuries: Stephen Curry, knee (OUT), Jimmy Butler, knee (OUT), Moses Moody, knee (OUT), Al Horford, calf (OUT), Will Richard, knee (day to day), Quinten Post, foot (day to day)

What to watch for

• San Antonio has the talent advantage at center every game by default this season thanks to employing Victor Wembanyama, but it’s even more glaring against Golden State. The Warriors’ only 7 footer on the roster is Krystaps Porzingis, and he was only acquired from the Atlanta Hawks in the Kuminga trade. With Quinten Post and veteran AL Horford both out, Porzingis has been receiving the lion’s share of available center minutes. Meanwhile Draymond Green, arguably still arguably Golden State’s best defensive player, has had a few viral moments matching up with Wemby since the Frenchman came into the league and can guard him effectively here and there. The way Wembanyama has been playing though these last few weeks, even those few moments might not matter.
• That talent disparity at center also impacts Golden State’s rebounding, where they rank in the bottom half overall. Their 11.4 offensive rebounds a game actually rank 13th, a credit to head coach Steve Kerr’s small ball philosophy and all-hands-on-deck approach to rebounding in spite of their lack of traditional big men. While that can help generate more looks for their 3-point happy offense against many teams, it’s tough to see them having much success against a Spurs team that is big seemingly everywhere up and down the roster. San Antonio is holding teams to 10.4 offensive rebounds a game, the 4th fewest in the Association.
• This season Golden State takes the most 3s in the NBA and makes the 2nd most of them, but their 36% mark is good enough for just 17th. That number has plummeted to 33% with Chef Curry out of the line-up, which would be the worst in the league below even the 34% the Sacremento Kings make. The Spurs, who are among the best in the NBA at guarding the line, should be able to limit a lot of the Golden State offense sans Curry thanks to their work in limiting 2nd chance opportunities on the boards and a wing rotation that’s as good as anyone defensively.
• Rookie Dylan Harper is coming off the best month of his young NBA career. He shooting line of 59/54/86 in the month of March was something of a revelation, taking a lot of the flourishes that have been on display throughout the season and developing amazing consistency. San Antonio has a chance to do something truly special this spring, and Harper is showing how big a part of that he can be.

If you’d like to, you may follow along with the game on our Twitter profile (@poundingtherock) or visit our Game Thread!

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick laced up some custom-made sneakers for a good cause on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. 

Redick wore custom-made Nike sneakers designed by Salt Lake City artist John Millar for the NBA and the NBA Coaches Association in honoring Autism Acceptance Month.

The shoes were designed with the Lakers team colors of purple and gold wrapped around a rainbow infinity symbol, a mark of pride and permanence for the autism community. 

Per Lakers, head coach JJ Redick is wearing custom-made Nike sneakers tonight against the Washington Wizards that were designed by John Millar to raise awareness for the NBA and NBA coaches association autism acceptance campaign. pic.twitter.com/FMo8dTooB7

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) March 31, 2026

“It’s a great cause,” said Redick. “It’s bringing awareness and acceptance.”

But then Redick reflected for a moment and told the story of the teenage version of himself spending his free periods in high school helping a classmate with special needs. 

“My junior and senior year I had a free period and I spent those two years working with special needs kids,” recalled Redick. “There was one kid in particular that I worked with. I helped him with math. It was a really humbling experience.” 

Redick also mentioned his friendship with Joe Ingles, an NBA player and father navigating life with an autistic son. Suddenly the cause stopped being abstract and it became personal.

“Anybody who knows me knows that I think all people are equal and loved,” Redick said. 

The initiative also circles back to To The Max Foundation, founded by Utah Jazz assistant Scott Morrison and his wife after their son Max’s autism diagnosis in 2022. 

Across the league, all 30 head coaches joined in the campaign to raise awareness for autism. 

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The game-worn sneakers laced up by all the NBA coaches will be signed and head to auction at Sotheby’s in May, with every dollar fueling access, opportunity, and dignity for families who often fight autism quietly and without help.

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Phoenix Suns (42-33, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (40-36, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Charlotte, North Carolina; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The Charlotte Hornets host the Phoenix Suns in non-conference action.

The Hornets are 19-19 on their home court. Charlotte ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference at limiting opponent scoring, allowing just 111.4 points while holding opponents to 46.7% shooting.

The Suns are 18-19 in road games. Phoenix is 7-10 in one-possession games.

The Hornets average 16.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 4.1 more made shots on average than the 12.1 per game the Suns allow. The Suns are shooting 45.4% from the field, 1.3% lower than the 46.7% the Hornets' opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the second time this season. In the last meeting on March 9 the Suns won 111-99 led by 30 points from Devin Booker, while LaMelo Ball scored 22 points for the Hornets.

TOP PERFORMERS: Ball is averaging 19.6 points and 7.1 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 19.0 points over the last 10 games.

Booker is scoring 25.7 points per game with 3.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists for the Suns. Jalen Green is averaging 19.8 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 45.5% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hornets: 7-3, averaging 118.7 points, 45.5 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 6.7 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.3 points per game.

Suns: 3-6, averaging 115.5 points, 42.6 rebounds, 26.5 assists, 8.9 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.9 points.

INJURIES: Hornets: None listed.

Suns: Mark Williams: out (foot), Haywood Highsmith: day to day (knee), Amir Coffey: day to day (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Milwaukee Bucks (30-45, 11th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Houston Rockets (46-29, sixth in the Western Conference)

Houston; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Rockets -17.5; over/under is 217.5

BOTTOM LINE: Houston heads into a matchup against Milwaukee as winners of three games in a row.

The Rockets are 26-10 on their home court. Houston leads the Western Conference in rebounding, averaging 48.1 boards. Alperen Sengun leads the Rockets with 8.9 rebounds.

The Bucks are 13-24 on the road. Milwaukee is 17-30 in games decided by 10 or more points.

The Rockets average 11.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.5 fewer makes per game than the Bucks allow (14.8). The Bucks are shooting 47.7% from the field, 1.8% higher than the 45.9% the Rockets' opponents have shot this season.

The teams play for the second time this season. The Rockets won the last meeting 122-115 on Nov. 9. Kevin Durant scored 31 points to help lead the Rockets to the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Durant is averaging 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Rockets. Amen Thompson is averaging 18.9 points over the last 10 games.

Bobby Portis is averaging 13.7 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Bucks. Ryan Rollins is averaging 18.7 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Rockets: 6-4, averaging 115.1 points, 47.8 rebounds, 28.9 assists, 8.1 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.3 points per game.

Bucks: 3-7, averaging 107.9 points, 38.8 rebounds, 24.3 assists, 8.0 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 121.3 points.

INJURIES: Rockets: Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).

Bucks: Gary Harris: day to day (groin), Kevin Porter Jr.: day to day (knee), Thanasis Antetokounmpo: day to day (calf), Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (ankle), Bobby Portis: day to day (wrist).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Atlanta Hawks (43-33, fifth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (39-35, eighth in the Eastern Conference)

Orlando, Florida; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hawks -4.5; over/under is 233.5

BOTTOM LINE: Jalen Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks visit Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

The Magic have gone 24-24 against Eastern Conference opponents. Orlando ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference with 50.7 points per game in the paint led by Franz Wagner averaging 10.9.

The Hawks are 8-6 against the rest of the division. Atlanta is second in the league scoring 18.2 fast break points per game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker leads the Hawks averaging 4.1.

The Magic average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.3 fewer makes per game than the Hawks allow (13.1). The Hawks are shooting 47.3% from the field, 0.4% lower than the 47.7% the Magic's opponents have shot this season.

The teams play for the fourth time this season. In the last meeting on March 16 the Hawks won 124-112 led by 41 points from Alexander-Walker, while Desmond Bane scored 18 points for the Magic.

TOP PERFORMERS: Banchero is scoring 22.6 points per game with 8.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Magic. Bane is averaging 16.5 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 45.9% over the last 10 games.

Johnson is scoring 22.9 points per game and averaging 10.2 rebounds for the Hawks. Alexander-Walker is averaging 3.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 2-7, averaging 113.6 points, 39.6 rebounds, 24.0 assists, 7.3 steals and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.0 points per game.

Hawks: 8-2, averaging 121.5 points, 43.5 rebounds, 30.1 assists, 9.1 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.8 points.

INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Anthony Black: out (abdomen), Jonathan Isaac: out (knee).

Hawks: Jock Landale: day to day (illness).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Deni Avdija had 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, Jrue Holiday hit seven 3s and finished with 30 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped the Los Angeles Clippers' five-game win streak, 114-104 on Tuesday night.

The Clippers (39-37) are eighth in the Western Conference, a half-game in front of the ninth-place Blazers (39-38). Los Angeles leads the season series — which wraps up April 10 in Portland — with the Blazers 2-1.

Toumani Camara scored 17 points and Scoot Henderson added 15 for the Trail Blazers.

Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 23 points. Darius Garland scored 20, Brook Lopez 18, John Collins added 17 and Jordan Miller 16 points.

Leonard has scored at least 20 points in 52 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak of its kind in the NBA (Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a 136 game streak).

Matisse Thybulle hit a 3-pointer that made it 31-29 with 1:06 left in the first quarter and the Blazers led the rest of the way.

Garland made a bucket in the lane that trimmed the Clippers' deficit to eight with 3:44 left in the third quarter but they got no closer. Henderson hit a step-back 3 at the buzzer to cap a 16-5 run that made it 91-74 going into the fourth.

Portland had 18 offensive rebounds and 32 second-chance points. The Blazers went into the game leading the NBA in second-chance points (18.2 per game) and are second in offensive rebounds (14.1 per game).

Avdija made 11 of 12 from the free-throw line and has 31 games this season with at least 10 free-throw attempts, second most in the NBA behind Luka Doncic.

Portland's Jerami Grant (calf) missed his second consecutive game.

Up next

Trail Blazers: Host New Orleans on Wednesday.

Clippers: Host San Antonio on Thursday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

The Lakers didn’t need Luka Doncic to take care of business in Monday night’s win over the Wizards as he served his one-game suspension because of an accumulation of technical fouls

But they needed every bit of the MVP-caliber play carried into Tuesday night to blow out the Cavaliers 127-113 at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic got off to another one of his signature hot starts to keep the Lakers afloat in the midst of the Cavaliers’ hot start on the second night of a back-to-back for both teams, with the 27-year-old Slovenian guard having 14 points and 4 assists in the first quarter to help the Lakers only trail by two after the first period. 

From there, Doncic and the Lakers blitzed the Cavaliers, who blew out the Lakers in similar fashion two months ago in Cleveland. 

Doncic led the Lakers with a 42-point, 12-assist double-double in 34 minutes, to go with 5 rebounds, continuing his career-best steak of scoring at least 30 points (13 games).

The Lakers outscored the Cavaliers 78-49 in the middle two quarters, giving them a 110-83 lead going into the final quarter.

The Cavaliers’ all-bench lineup to start the fourth made it a closer game than it was during the competitive portions.

Austin Reaves recorded 19 points (6-of-16 shooting), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, while Deandre Ayton added 18 points and 9 rebounds (six offensive rebounds). 

LeBron James had 14 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds during a game he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most combined regular-season and playoff wins, moving to 1,229.

Jake LaRavia added 14 points (5-of-5 shooting) and 7 rebounds, while Rui Hachimura scored 14 points, surpassing 5,000 career points. 

What it means

The Lakers already clinched a playoff spot before beating the Cavaliers thanks to the Suns’ loss to the Magic, but the victory gave them their 50th win of the season.  

They went 15-2 in March, and have won 16 of their last 18 games. 

Turning point

When Reaves threw an alley-oop to James at the 7:43 mark of the third quarter in transition.

The Lakers were already up 78-63 before the highlight play, but the Cavaliers were sticking around. 

They closed out the third quarter 30-20 from there.

MVP: Luka Doncic

With his 42nd point on Tuesday, Doncic reached 600 points in the month of March. 

He’s just the second player in NBA history to reach the 600-point mark in March, joining Michael Jordan (March 1987), and is one of only 10 players ever to record a 600-point month. 

Stat of the game: 15,000

Doncic surpassed 15,000 career points on Tuesday, becoming the third-youngest player in NBA history to hit the milestone.

Only James (25 years, 79 days) and Kevin Durant (26 years, 78 days) were younger than Doncic (27 years, 31 days) when they reached 15,000 career points.

Up next

The Lakers will head back on the road to play the defending NBA champions, the Thunder, on Thursday.

They’ll close out the trip against the Mavericks on Sunday.

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — Willy Adames had four hits, including a leadoff homer, and San Francisco ace Logan Webb finished strong in the Giants' 9-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

Adames sent Germán Márquez's second pitch for the Padres over the left-field wall to spark a three-run inning with his first home run this season. Adames also doubled and delivered an RBI single that ignited a four-run sixth after San Diego cut it to 4-3.

Matt Chapman hit his first homer — a solo shot in the third for a 4-0 lead — before Webb ran into trouble in the bottom half. He walked Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado with one out. Jackson Merrill and Miguel Andujar had RBI singles sandwiched around a run-scoring groundout by Xander Bogaerts, but that was it for the Padres as they fell to 1-4 before a fifth straight sellout crowd.

Webb (1-1) allowed three hits and walked four before retiring his final 10 batters. He threw 104 pitches in six innings. JT Brubaker and José Buttó finished up for the Giants.

Jung Hoo Lee had three of San Francisco's 16 hits, including a two-run double with two outs in the first and an RBI single in the ninth. Heliot Ramos hit a two-run single in the sixth, and Luis Arraez added a sacrifice fly against his former team.

Márquez (0-1), who spent his first 10 seasons with the Rockies, allowed four runs and eight hits in three innings. Kyle Hart was charged with four runs in 2 1/3 innings.

San Diego has just eight extra-base hits this season.

Up next

RHP Adrian Houser makes his first start for the Giants in Wednesday's series finale opposite RHP Nick Pivetta (0-1).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Luka Doncic, with the eyes of five defenders fixed on him in the paint, faked a lob pass. He threatened to wrap a pass around Cleveland center Thomas Bryant’s back. Instead, the Lakers superstar pulled up straight over the top of Bryant’s outstretched arm, dropping a fadeaway jumper softly through the net.

Doncic smiled toward the Lakers’ bench as he backpedaled. He shrugged at himself.

Doncic brought back all his old tricks after serving a one-game suspension and capped his torrid March with 42 points, 12 assists, five rebounds and no turnovers in the Lakers’ 127-113 rout of the Cavaliers (47-29) on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Read more:How Luka Doncic's season stacks up against the NBA's other MVP contenders

Doncic, who was suspended for Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards because of technical foul accumulation, joined Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to score 600 points in the month of March. He is one of just 10 players to score 600 points in a month.

“You can see he’s the MVP,” forward Rui Hachimura said.

Doncic, in the NBA most valuable player conversation with Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Denver’s Nikola Jokic, scoffed at the suggestion that he state his case for the coveted award.

He’ll let his numbers speak: A league-best 33.8 points per game, the only player averaging 30 points a game with more than 100 steals this season and the third-youngest player to reach 15,000 career points.

Doncic said he’s been simply “playing pretty good.” And, most importantly, the Lakers have been winning.

“If you don't win, it doesn't really mean anything,” Doncic said. “So the run we've been on, it means a lot, so we got to just keep playing that."

The Lakers (50-26) reached 50 wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. Before tip-off, they clinched a playoff berth when the Phoenix Suns lost to the Orlando Magic, giving the Lakers their second consecutive Pacific Division title.

Entering March, the Lakers, who’ve won 13 of their last 14 games, were fighting to hold off the Suns for sixth in the West. After struggling against winning teams at the beginning of the season, the Lakers faced a daunting stretch of games that included Minnesota, Denver and Houston along with a six-game road trip.

The Lakers answered emphatically with an 8-2 record against teams with .500 records or better and by winning the tiebreakers against their closest Western Conference competition.

“I think where our group has been really good, starting [March 6 against Indiana], was just really putting emphasis on building our playoff mentality,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said before earning his 100th career coaching win Tuesday. “Understanding the importance of every game, every possession. Trying to find more consistency within the game and building those habits at a really high level.”

The Lakers’ 30-point loss to the Cavaliers on Jan. 28 was their worst of the season. Hachimura called Tuesday’s rematch “like a revenge game for us.”

The Lakers turned the game in the second quarter, outscoring Cleveland 33-19. Despite entering the game as questionable for the second time in as many nights, LeBron James had a thunderous one-handed dunk off a lob from Austin Reaves in transition with 7:42 remaining in the third quarter that put the Lakers up by 17. Reaves had 19 points as six Lakers scored in double figures.

Doncic lit the record books with his sizzling scoring, but his teammates also put up headline-worthy performances in March. James, who scored 14 points with six assists Tuesday, shot 56.2% from the field, his most efficient month of the season. He also passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most regular-season and playoff wins in NBA history.

During their magical month, the Lakers had a winning buzzer-beater from Luke Kennard, an expertly executed missed free throw from Reaves and a perfect 13-for-13 shooting night from centers Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes.

“Our team right now is the reason that we're winning,” Redick said, emphasizing the second word. “Our team. Because each guy has contributed to winning.”

Even Doncic’s highlight play against the Cavaliers came through a team effort in the fourth quarter. Jake LaRavia, who finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, batted away an entry pass. Hayes scooped up the ball and tossed it up the court toward Doncic. He collected it just inside the three-point line, methodically shuffled his feet then jumped carefully before barely clearing the top of the rim on a two-handed dunk.

Doncic held both arms aloft in sarcastic celebration. The wide grins across the faces of every Lakers player were authentic.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

In one of the most impressive wins over the season, the Lakers dominated the Cavs on Tuesday, leading by as many as 27 points en route to a 127-113 win.

After Cleveland led for almost the entire first quarter, the Lakers took control in the second period and never looked back. A huge third quarter pushed LA ahead by 20 points and, despite a shaky start to the fourth quarter, never saw the lead dip back into single digits.

The win is the fourth straight for LA, its 13th in the last 14 games and 16th in the last 18. It also gives them 50 wins, matching last season’s win total.

While fans were immediately treated to a LeBron chasedown block to open the game, it was a slow start for the Lakers as Cleveland scored the first six points of the game until a pull-up midrange jumper from LeBron.

LA eventually played their way back into the game, tying it up on a nifty fastbreak dime from Luka to LeBron and forcing a Cleveland timeout. After the two teams traded baskets, James Harden and Keon Ellis helped the Cavs push their lead to seven at 26-19.

Luka and LeBron found their 3-point shots, which helped the Lakers keep pace with the Cavs, who knocked down a pair of long-range shots of their own to beat the shot clock buzzer. Luka’s second 3-pointer of the first gave him 14 points and pulled the Lakers within two at 34-32 to end the period.

Kennard opened the second period with a jumper that tied the game once again. Jake LaRavia brought the energy in the second period, creating extra possessions with his hustle and converting a pair of baskets at the rim, the latter a fastbreak dunk to put the hosts up 41-36 and force another Cavs timeout.

A foul on a 3-point attempt by Austin Reaves allowed the Lakers to open the lead to 46-39, extending the run to 17-5. While the lead was down to five points when Luka checked back into the game at the midway point of the quarter, Ayton immediately followed a miss of his with a dunk.

Luka then connected on his own deep-range effort before finding Ayton for a mid-range jumper, giving LA a 10-point lead. Out of a Lakers timeout, Rui scored five-straight points before a LaRavia poster extended the lead to 15.

An 18-point first half from Jarrett Allen was the only thing keeping Cleveland in the game. Luka, though, was keeping pace individually as a 3-pointer late in the second gave him 20 points.

At the half, the Lakers led 65-53.

Ayton converted on an and-one to start the second half to set a positive tone for the Lakers. The Lakers continued turning defense into offense, punctuated by a steal that led to a fastbreak alley-oop from Reaves to LeBron, pushing LA’s lead to a game-high 17 points.

The Lakers kept the pedal to the metal out of the timeout, using a Luka baseline fadeaway and then a steal in the backcourt and two LaRavia free throws to open the lead up to 20 points.

A 3-pointer from Luka gave him his 13th-straight 30-point game and made it a 21-point game. He then found Austin for a three on the next possession as the purple and gold kept piling it on.

Cleveland had little response for the Lakers as the margin stayed north of 20. Rui Hachimura really found his groove in the period to keep LA comfortably ahead and LaRavia’s corner three to close the period made it a 110-83 lead to go into the fourth.

The Cavs opened the fourth quarter by clearing the bench, then promptly cut the deficit to 18 points to force a Lakers timeout. Ayton got the first field goal of the fourth out of the break by putting back his own miss.

Austin slowed Cleveland’s push with a stepback 3-pointer to push the lead back to 19, but Tyrese Proctor immediately responded.

The unseriousness continued as a 24-second violation from the Lakers led to a dunk for the Cavs, trimming the lead down to 14 points. A block by Rui led to him getting a deep seal on the other end for an easy layup that stemmed the tide a bit.

A dunk from Jaxson Hayes off a pick and roll put LA up 18 points with 3:21 left before a pair of freebies and a 3-pointer from Luka gave him yet another 40-point game. He put the final touches on the win with a fastbreak dunk, which elicited a roar from the crowd.

Key Player Stats

Luka continued his incredible streak with 42 points to go with 12 assists and five rebounds. Austin struggled with his shot, but still finished with 19 points with six rebounds and four assists. LeBron had 14 points, five rebounds and six assists.

Ayton had a strong showing with 18 points and nine rebounds. LaRavia had 14 points on 5-5 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers to go along with seven rebounds. Hachimura tallied 14 points on 6-8 shooting off the bench.

The Lakers will next be in action on Thursday when they travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. Tip is set for 6:30 p.m.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

PHOENIX (AP) — Jose Fernandez hit two home runs, including the go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning, in his MLB debut and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Tuesday night.

Fernandez finished 3 for 4 with an infield single for the first of his career in the second and a solo home run in the fourth.

James McCann hit a double along the third baseline and Jordan Lawlar singled before the Tigers swapped out relief pitcher Drew Anderson for Will Vest (0-1). Vest walked Ketel Marte to load the bases and Corbin Carroll hit a double to the wall in center field, sending two home.

Vest walked the next batter and Marte scored on a groundout before Kenley Jensen replaced Vest with runners at the corners. Fernandez hit a 409-foot shot that capped the scoring.

Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt allowed five runs in six innings. Andrew Hoffmann (1-0) pitching two scoreless innings before Paul Sewald struck out the side in the ninth and earned his second save of the year.

Detroit had all of its six hits in the Tigers' five-run third. Riley Greene hit a two-run double, and Kevin McGonigle, Kerry Carpenter and Jake Rogers each added an RBI.

Up next

Detroit's Tarik Skubal (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts opposite Zac Gallen (0-1, 9.00) in the series finale Wednesday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

While the Lakers are zooming into the playoffs on a high, the offseason will present a whole new set of questions for them to address.

A roster full of players set to enter free agency is some form or fashion will create the need for lots of decisions. Some of them are simple, like bringing back Austin Reaves, and others are out of their control, like where LeBron James wants to finish his career or what Deandre Ayton or Marcus Smart do with their options.

But there are still plenty of players the Lakers will have to make a decision on, including a number of key contributors like Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard. Both are set for unrestricted free agency and, with lots of cap space, both could be brought back fairly easily.

In an article on Monday, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported on a number of free agents the Lakers are interested in retaining this offseason.

The Lakers aren’t expected to take that $50 million and give it to another star instead of James. They have interest in re-signing Reaves, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard, team sources told ESPN, not to mention Hachimura, if the price is right. Reaves will decline a $14.9 million player option and enter unrestricted free agency, sources familiar with his plans told ESPN.

When it comes to Reaves, the interest in mutual in getting a deal done and everything indicates that’ll be the case at some point this summer.

However, after that, it’ll be interesting to see how things unfold.

Hayes has found success this season and in general alongside Luka Dončić. On a minimum deal, he provides solid value. But, given how much success he’s had this year, has he played so well that he’ll earn more than the minimum next season? And if so, are the Lakers still interested in bringing him back?

Kennard has been a terrific addition to the team since the trade deadline, filling the need for shooting and a secondary ballhandler in many lineups. It feels unlikely he’d make more than the $11 million he made this year and feels possible he’d make less even. If that’s the case, it would make a lot of sense for LA to re-sign him.

Hachimura will be an interesting one. In LA, he’s developed into a sharpshooter and has value as a wing with size and shooting. The price point feels like the biggest factor in whether he comes back, as McMenamin noted.

All of the moving parts of this offseason will make this hard to predict. But the Lakers are going to have a lot of decisions to make.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.