Luka Doncic Gets A Major Endorsement From Lakers Icon Magic Johnson With Bold Statement

Luka Doncic scored 32 points in a 124-114 Lakers win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, and Magic Johnson had plenty to say about it. Most of it was not about Doncic. The Lakers legend took to X on Tuesday to hand out credit to five other players, from a hot-shooting big man to a forward who barely played. Los Angeles is 10-2 and has won six in a row. Doncic added 10 assists and eight rebounds, a line most teams would build a recap around. Johnson went a different way, and his reasons are easy to follow.

What Did Magic Johnson Say About Luka Doncic After The Lakers Beat The Hawks?

“The Lakers' win wasn't just about Luka Doncic (even though he scored 32 points),” Johnson wrote. Fair enough. The Lakers star finished two rebounds short of a triple-double on his night and had five steals too.

Collin Sexton gave Los Angeles 18 points and six assists. Sandro Mamukelashvili made five of his eight threes and finished with a season-high 23. Walker Kessler shot 8-of-12 for 21 points and 10 rebounds. Ziaire Williams chipped in 12. Add up Sexton, Mamukelashvili and Kessler and you get 62, half of what the Lakers scored. The team shot 52.9% overall and 42.9% from three.

Adou Thiero got the last word. “That production, along with Thiero's defense, is why they were able to walk away with the win!” Johnson wrote. Thiero had recently returned from a knee injury and played just over seven minutes, with two points, two rebounds and a steal. Praise for a player who barely touched the floor stood out.

Lakers Win Again Without Austin Reaves And Quentin Grimes

Austin Reaves had 43 against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. On Monday he was out with an illness. Quentin Grimes missed the game too, with a finger injury. Doncic had also sat the game before with lower-back tightness, so this was a thin group on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Lakers led by 20 in the second quarter. The Hawks crept within four late in the fourth. Then Los Angeles scored six in a row and the game was over.

Johnson also found room for coach JJ Redick, who he says has “become a great NBA coach.” Redick began the season with nine new players after LeBron James left in free agency and then to the Sixers. Next up is Milwaukee on Wednesday.