It was only a matter of time until Luka Doncic hit his stride for the Lakers.
Still just weeks since the unexpected trade that sent the elite guard from Dallas to Los Angeles, Doncic had looked a bit rusty in his first three games in purple and gold. But on Saturday night, he and LeBron James put together the kind of performance against the Nuggets that has some convinced the star duo can lead the Lakers to a title.
Against a Denver squad that came in at 37-19, James posted 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while Doncic had his best performance yet since joining Los Angeles in a 123-100 victory.
Here's a look at Doncic's showing Saturday against the Nuggets.
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Luka Doncic stats today
- Points: 32
- Rebounds: 10
- Assists: 7
- Steals: 4
- Blocks: 1
- Turnovers: 1
- Fouls: 0
- FG: 10-22
- 3PT: 4-9
- FT: 8-8
Doncic's 32 points were double his previous high with the Lakers through his first three games. They were also the most he's had in a game since Dec. 15, when he led the Mavericks to a win over the Warriors by scoring 45 points.
It wasn't only Doncic and James that had impressive nights against the Nuggets; four of the Lakers' starters scored at least 20 points, including 23 from Austin Reaves (4-7 from three) and 21 from Rui Hachimura (4-9 from three).
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Luka Doncic highlights vs. Nuggets
Right off the bat against Denver, Doncic and James displayed the strong chemistry they're already building as teammates. Doncic hit James down the length of the court for Los Angeles' first bucket and his first of seven assists.
The Lakers built their lead early as Doncic connected on a few 3-pointers.
Toward the tail end of the first half, the Doncic-James connection was on display once again. The 25-year-old tossed a lob to the 40-year-old, then hit a step-back three soon after.
By the second half, everything was going for Doncic.
Luka Doncic stats since Lakers-Mavericks trade
Doncic's performance on Saturday evening was by far his best game yet in Laker gold.
As Los Angeles looks to make a push for a top-four seed in the Western Conference, it will be looking for more nights like Saturday from its new star guard. Here's a look at Doncic's game log since joining the Lakers:
| Date | Opponent | Result | Minutes | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | Turnovers | Fouls | FG | 3PT | FT |
| 2/22 | Nuggets | W, 123-100 | 31 | 32 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10-22 | 4-9 | 8-8 |
| 2/19 | Hornets | L, 100-97 | 33 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 5-18 | 1-9 | 3-4 |
| 2/12 | Jazz | L, 131-119 | 23 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 6-13 | 3-8 | 1-5 |
| 2/10 | Jazz | W, 132-113 | 24 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5-14 | 1-7 | 3-3 |
| Averages: | -- | -- | 27.8 | 19.0 | 7.5 | 5.8 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 26-67 (38.8%) | 9-33 (27.3%) | 15-20 (75.0%) |
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