Luka Doncic posts 37-point triple-double as Lakers crush Wizards | Basketball News

Doncic leads the way as LA Lakers beat the 142-111, while New ‍York Knicks overcome Portland Trail Blazers 127-97.

Luka Doncic has recorded his sixth triple-double ‌of the season with 37 points, leading three Los Angeles scorers by ‍at least 20 ‍points as the visiting Lakers rolled past the Washington Wizards 142-111.

Doncic showed no ill effects from the injury he sustained when falling off Cleveland’s elevated court, reaching a triple-double by halftime with 26 ⁠points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds on Friday. The guard finished with 13 assists and 11 ​boards and added three steals.

With Doncic setting the tone, Los ‍Angeles quickly took control of the game, going on a 9-0 run midway through the first quarter to lead 20-11. That early burst gave the Lakers a lead they never lost, and ‍they continued to ⁠build on it for the next 40-plus minutes.

Los Angeles’ Deandre Ayton posted 28 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while LeBron James chipped in 20 points and six assists.

Each of the trio shot at least 50% from the floor to power the Lakers to a torrid 52-of-85 (61.2%) field-goal shooting as a team.

The prolific offensive attack led Los Angeles to their second-highest scoring performance ​of the season, just one game after the Lakers ‌experienced their most lopsided defeat of the campaign, a 30-point setback against the Cavaliers.

The blowout denied Washington in their season-long quest to string together three straight wins. The Wizards came in with back-to-back victories ‌over the Portland Trail Blazers and the Milwaukee Bucks, but they had no answer for the initial Los Angeles onslaught.

Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns posted another double-double ‌with 14 points and 20 rebounds for the New ‍York Knicks, ‍who continued surging with a wire-to-wire 127-97 win over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers.

It was the second straight 20-rebound game for Towns, who lead the NBA in rebounding at 11.8 boards per ⁠game. Towns pulled down a season-high 22 rebounds in New York’s 119-92 win ​over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. He has 31 double-doubles ‍this season.

Jalen Brunson scored a team-high 26 points for the Knicks, who ended the month with five straight wins following a 2-9 skid that began on December 31. ‍New York allowed fewer ⁠than 100 points in four of the five victories.

Starters OG Anunoby (24 points), Josh Hart (20) and Mikal Bridges (10) all got into double figures for the Knicks. Tyler Kolek had 13 points off the bench while fellow reserve Mohamed Diawara added 10 points.

Shaedon Sharpe scored 26 points for the Trail Blazers, who concluded a winless three-game ​East Coast road trip as they lost their ‌fourth straight overall following a four-game winning streak. The losing streak ties a season high for Portland, which also dropped four straight from November 14-19.

Jerami Grant (15 points), Sidy Cissoko (15) and ‌Caleb Love (12) all got into double figures off the bench for the Trail Blazers while starter Deni Avdija had ‌11 points. Reserve Robert Williams III grabbed ⁠a team-high 11 rebounds.

Diawara’s 3-pointer gave the Knicks their first double-digit lead at 22-10 with 3:41 left in the first. New York led 37-22 at the end of the ‌opening period before scoring the first nine points of the second.

A 23-7 run later in the second pulled the Trail Blazers within 56-48 before the Knicks ‍carried a 59-49 lead into halftime. New York led by double digits throughout the second half and by as many as 33 in ‌the fourth.