LOS ANGELES — Luka Dončić followed a 45-point night with another dominant performance, scoring 42 points and handing out 13 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers rolled past the Miami Heat, 138-117, Monday at Crypto.com Arena.
Austin Reaves added 27 points and Walker Kessler finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds as the Lakers won for the second time in as many nights. Los Angeles improved to 6-2 after shooting 57.3 percent from the field and piling up 39 assists.
One night after Dončić carried the Lakers to a 131-125 win over the Toronto Raptors, he controlled this one as both scorer and playmaker. The Lakers scored 269 points across the back-to-back and led Miami by as many as 24.
Dončić controls the game again
Dončić scored 24 points and recorded eight assists before halftime, helping Los Angeles take a 79-72 lead into the break. He finished 14 of 24 from the field, made six 3-pointers and committed only two turnovers in 36 minutes.
His 13 assists were part of the Lakers’ best ball-movement game of the young season. Los Angeles recorded an assist on 39 of its 51 made field goals and scored 60 points in the paint.
Dončić did not have to carry the scoring load alone. Reaves shot 10 of 15 from the field and made four of five from beyond the arc. Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 13 points off the bench, while Ziaire Williams added nine on three 3-pointers.
Lakers take control after halftime
The Lakers opened with a 37-30 first quarter, then traded 42-point second quarters with Miami. The Heat remained close at halftime despite Los Angeles shooting at a blistering pace.
The separation came in the third quarter. The Lakers outscored Miami 32-21 and carried a 111-93 lead into the fourth. Their advantage reached 24 before both teams emptied their benches late.
Los Angeles finished 51 of 89 from the floor and 19 of 43 from 3-point range. The Lakers also outrebounded the Heat 41-34 and turned Miami’s 19 turnovers into 20 points.
Kessler was a major part of the interior advantage. He grabbed four offensive rebounds, scored 15 points and gave the Lakers another double-double after posting 16 points and 15 boards against Toronto.
Giannis produces, but Miami cannot keep pace
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Miami with 30 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. He shot 10 of 17 from the field but committed seven of the Heat’s 19 turnovers.
Klay Thompson scored 19 points and made four 3-pointers. Bam Adebayo added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Davion Mitchell finished with 15 points and seven assists without missing a field-goal attempt.
Miami shot 50.7 percent overall and made 16 3-pointers, numbers that would normally keep a team competitive. The Heat could not match the Lakers’ shotmaking or ball movement, especially after halftime.
A much cleaner finish for the Lakers
The final 12 minutes were far less stressful than Sunday’s win over Toronto, when the Lakers allowed 43 fourth-quarter points and watched a 26-point lead shrink to six.
Miami scored 24 in Monday’s fourth quarter. Los Angeles answered with 27 and never allowed the game to become competitive again.
The Lakers still committed 16 turnovers and sent Miami to the free-throw line 35 times, but their offense gave the Heat no opening. Dončić and Reaves combined for 69 points, Kessler controlled the glass and the Lakers completed the back-to-back with their highest-scoring performance of the season.
Quarter-by-quarter scoring
- First quarter: Lakers 37, Heat 30
- Second quarter: Lakers 42, Heat 42
- Third quarter: Lakers 32, Heat 21
- Fourth quarter: Lakers 27, Heat 24
- Final: Lakers 138, Heat 117
[…] Through seven appearances, Dončić is averaging 38.3 points, 8.1 assists, 8.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals while shooting 49.7 percent from the field. He strengthened that early case Sunday night with 42 points and 13 assists in the Lakers’ 138-117 win over the Miami Heat. […]
[…] Lakers did not match the offensive fireworks from their 138-point win over the Miami Heat, but they controlled this one with defense. Sacramento shot under 39 percent from the field and […]