The Los Angeles Lakers cruised to what looked like a comfortable win over the Washington Wizards, but one of the game’s most electric moments came early-courtesy of Luka Doncic and Jaxson Hayes.
Midway through the first quarter, Doncic picked off a pass, pushed the ball up the floor, and, without breaking stride, fired a no-look dime to Hayes cutting along the baseline. Hayes did the rest, flushing it home with authority. It was the kind of highlight that reminds you how much fun basketball can be when elite vision meets elite verticality.
Doncic, of course, is no stranger to highlight-reel assists. He’s been threading the needle all season long and remains firmly in the MVP conversation.
But what’s really starting to turn heads is the chemistry he’s building with Hayes. The connection between the two has been growing since last season’s trade, and it’s translating into real production on the court.
Hayes, who was recently named to the NBA Dunk Contest for All-Star Weekend, has carved out a steady role in L.A.’s rotation. After a tough playoff outing last year-where he was benched during the Lakers’ elimination against the Timberwolves-he returned this season with something to prove. And so far, he’s delivering.
Despite a couple of minor injury setbacks, Hayes has been a reliable presence off the bench. He’s played in 38 games, starting four of them, and is averaging just over 17 minutes a night.
Luka throws a NO-LOOK DIME to Jaxson Hayes for the alley-oop slam 🫣💥pic.twitter.com/4F8srAS1mU
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 31, 2026
His efficiency has been off the charts-shooting 77.3% from the field-and he’s chipping in 6.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. He’s not just catching lobs and dunking everything in sight (though he’s doing plenty of that); he’s also giving the Lakers some much-needed energy and rim protection with the second unit.
As the Lakers continue their grueling eight-game road trip-with marquee matchups against the Knicks and Nets still ahead-Hayes’ contributions could be even more important. The team is trying to build momentum heading into the All-Star break, and having a dependable big off the bench is a luxury most contenders would love to have.
Meanwhile, Doncic is doing what Doncic does-putting up video game numbers and making it all look effortless. He’s leading the league in scoring at 33.6 points per game, while also averaging 7.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 1.5 steals. His shooting splits-47.4% from the field, 34.4% from deep, and 78.1% from the line-speak to just how efficient he’s been, even with the massive usage load he carries.
The Lakers may still be figuring things out in a crowded Western Conference, but the Doncic-Hayes connection is a bright spot that’s hard to ignore. Whether it’s in transition or in the half-court, their growing chemistry is giving L.A. another weapon-and if Hayes keeps flying like this, don’t be surprised if All-Star Weekend is just the beginning of his breakout.