Luka Doncic didn’t waste any time making his point in the Lakers’ rematch with Golden State.
With Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg already leaning into the Halloween mood in a Michael Myers uniform, Doncic came right at him on the other end. He went at the rookie on defense, then sized him up and buried a 3-pointer in his face.
That kind of back-and-forth had already been set up the first time these two met in the season opener. Lendeborg was willing to take the challenge of guarding Doncic, but the Lakers star kept finding ways to make life miserable for the rookie. Doncic dropped 28 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished seven assists in a 127-105 Lakers win.
The edge only sharpened after the game, when Lendeborg said he was “losing all respect” for Doncic. Since then, the rookie has made it clear he was ready for another shot at him.
Lendeborg has also played like a different guy since that debut. Over his last three games, he’s averaging 27.7 points and 10 rebounds, including a 31-point, 12-rebound, six-assist performance in Golden State’s 134-114 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Doncic has been rolling too. He came into the rematch with 93 points over his last two games, highlighted by a 52-point outburst against the Utah Jazz.
Still, the real test for Lendeborg is going to come on defense. He already got a full dose of Doncic’s bag in the first meeting, and now the question is whether the rookie can handle it any better the second time around.
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