Luka Doncic earned his first playoff victory with the Los Angeles Lakers via a 94-85 tally against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Playoffs first-round showdown. This result indicates that the Slovenian sensation has adjusted to coach J.J. Reddick’s system following his shocking trade from the Dallas Mavericks.
In typical Doncic fashion, he affected the game in various ways. The five-time All-NBA First Team member dished out nine assists and pulled 12 rebounds to help the Lakers tie the series against the Timberwolves.
While he can fill the stat sheet, Doncic’s scoring prowess makes him one of the most dangerous opponents in the NBA. The 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year torched the Timberwolves with 31 points, which is pedestrian for a player who averaged 28.2 points per game during the regular season.
However, though Doncic is just doing his job, his Game 2 numbers earned him a spot in the Lakers’ record books. It’s an achievement that one of the franchise’s greats, the late Kobe Bryant, never did while playing for the purple and gold.
Luka Doncic channels his version of ‘Mamba Mentality’ in joining exclusive Lakers group
After that Game 2 victory, Doncic became only the third Lakers player to score at least 30 points in their first two playoff games. He followed George Mikan, who did it with the Minneapolis Lakers in 1949, and Shaquille O’Neal in 1997.
Already making history as a Laker#LakeShow pic.twitter.com/N25j0iS7yk
— LukaMuse (@LukaMuse__) April 23, 2025
According to Basketball Reference, Mikan scored 37 and 38 points in back-to-back postseason games against the Chicago Stags. Meanwhile, O’Neal had 46 and 30 points in two playoff games versus the Portland Trail Blazers.
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As for Kobe Bryant, he had eight points in the two games where O’Neal had a combined 76 points against the Blazers. It’s a shaky start for a franchise icon who eventually won five championships for the Lakers.
While Luka Doncic can take this round, he’s miles away from matching what Bryant has achieved for the 17-time NBA champions. However, constantly putting up 30-point performances could put Doncic closer to hoisting his first Larry O’Brien Trophy.
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