Luka Doncic put up another monster scoring night Sunday, dropping 45 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 131-125 win over the Toronto Raptors, but the conversation afterward centered on something else: his defense.
The NBA’s leading scorer at 37.7 points per game has now posted 40 or more in three of his last four outings, yet his work on the other end drew the loudest praise. Doncic forced eight Toronto turnovers, finished with five steals and took three charges, becoming the first player since player tracking started in 2013-14 to hit those defensive marks in the same game, according to ESPN Research.
Doncic said he knows the talk around him has long been about defense, but he believes he has taken a real step this season.
"Obviously, I'm not the best defender in the NBA, but I think this year, I really took a step forward," said Doncic, whose season-high 15 rebounds also came on the defensive end. "Obviously, people are going to talk what they want to talk [about] me. ... But I know, and my team knows, that I'm better this year."
That message was echoed all around him. Lakers center Walker Kessler, whom L.A. traded for in the offseason to help shore up a defense that finished 20th in the league in 2025-26, said Doncic’s effort stood out.
"Five steals and three charges ... incredible," Kessler said. "You know, incredible. Luka doesn't get enough credit for his defense."
Lakers coach JJ Redick focused on the charges Doncic drew - twice against Toronto’s RJ Barrett and once against Scottie Barnes - as a sign of how he leads.
"I think taking a charge in general is just a form of leadership, right? You're putting your body on the line for the team," Redick said.
"... He's trying to win.
You see the competitiveness come out so many times on the offensive end, but he's competitive on the defensive end, too."
Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic had a similar read on Doncic’s night.
"This year he came back in great shape," he said. "He looks healthy.
When he's healthy and ready to go, he's just unstoppable. Tonight, he was outstanding."
When a reporter relayed Kessler’s and Redick’s comments to Doncic after the game, he cracked a smile and answered, "Finally."
Doncic also said he isn’t sure why his defensive reputation has followed him, but he pointed out that he had taken only a few charges over 6½ seasons with the Dallas Mavericks before embracing that part of the game more in Los Angeles.
"It gets the whole team fired up," Doncic said. "I just wanted to get better at that. And three charges is not bad for one game."
Sandro Mamukelashvili, who scored 11 points off the bench against his former team, said Doncic’s defensive edge comes from his mentality.
"You can tell he has pride," Mamukelashvili said. "He has a pride, and he has a hunger. He has a will to not be labeled as that guy who you can just attack."
And when it comes to the offense, Mamukelashvili didn’t leave much mystery there either.
"You need three guys to guard him," he said. "I have a feeling that every time Luka plays, it's like 35-plus [points]."
In Other News...
Gradey Dick Is Still Feeling The Raptors Trade Reality
Gradey Dick is still getting used to the strange new routine that comes with being traded away from Toronto and then seeing the Raptors across the floor again. In his second game against his former team since landing with the Los Angeles Clippers, Dick handled the matchup like a player still sorting through the emotional side of a move, even as he put together a solid night with 12 points in 28 minutes.
Afterward, Dick talked about the adjustment of facing old teammates and made clear the relationships remain friendly, which is often the quiet part of these trades that gets overlooked once the jerseys change. Brandon Ingram, another piece involved in the deal, was on the Clippers bench while recovering from injury, a reminder that the full impact of the trade is still unfolding for everyone involved. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors And Cavs Are Headed For A Pressure-Test Debate
The Raptors recent struggles without Kawhi Leonard have made the contrast with Cleveland hard to miss, especially as both teams are being judged less by their regular-season polish than by how they handle pressure. Toronto knows what it looks like when a roster loses its margin for error, and the Cavaliers are now facing their own version of that test, with blown leads and questions about toughness hanging over a group that can look sharp until the game starts to turn.
Evan Mobleys development sits right in the middle of that conversation, because Clevelands ceiling depends on whether its young core can absorb adversity instead of just surviving the easy stretches. The Cavaliers may still look like a team built to pile up wins over the long haul, but the bigger concern is whether that style holds up when the playoffs demand something closer to the Raptors old edge, where every possession gets heavier and every weakness gets exposed. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Finally Got The Kawhi Update They Desperately Needed
The Raptors finally got some encouraging news on Kawhi Leonard, who has successfully completed treatment for the left knee swelling that had kept him on the sideline. Toronto said he will now begin the return-to-play process, a step forward that at least gives the club a clearer timeline as it continues through a road trip with several games still ahead.
Leonard is still expected to miss the immediate stretch, but the next checkpoint is set for one week from now, when the team will update his progress. For a Raptors group trying to navigate the early part of the schedule without one of its biggest names, the possibility of having him back for a game on November 11 is the kind of development that changes the mood around the locker room in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]