Luka Doncic's 60-point night propels Lakers past Heat for 8th...

MIAMI - "Fun" was the word of choice, thrown around like wildfire in the Lakers' locker room on Wednesday night after they earned a seventh consecutive victory. Luka Doncic put it simply when explaining what he liked about the team's effort in recent weeks: "When you win, everything is easier. Winning is fun. Just the way we play, I think it's a lot of fun." Doncic had a lot of fun on Thursday night, scoring 60 points for just the third time in his career as the travel-weary Lakers shook off a sluggish start and rallied past the Miami Heat, 134-126, to move 20 games over .500 with their 11th win in the past 12 games. Playing potentially his final game in Miami, where he won his first two NBA titles, 41-year-old LeBron James added 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple-double and tied Robert Parrish for the most games played in NBA history. When the Heat got within four points late in the fourth quarter, Doncic took control with one last surge. He bounced off a pair of Miami defenders for a banked three-point play for a seven-point lead with 3:54 remaining, then followed up a James miss at the rim for a 119-110 lead while recording his second 50-point game as a Laker. The Heat pulled to within four once more, but Doncic's eighth and ninth 3-pointers kept Miami at bay. Doncic matched his the second-highest single-game total, trailing only a 73-point night against Atlanta in 2024 and matching a 60-point night against New York in 2022. The NBA's leading scorer this season, he shot 18 for 30 overall, 9 for 17 from behind the arc and 15 for 19 from the free-throw line to go with seven rebounds, three assists and five steals. He scored 39 in the second half. Trailing by six points at halftime, Doncic fired a 3-pointer to from the top of the key to follow up a 3-pointer from James to start the Lakers' scoring in the second half. With his fourth 3-pointer of the night, Doncic passed D'Angelo Russell for the franchise single-season record (226 in 2023-24). Doncic's record grew throughout the second half. His fifth 3-pointer knotted the score at 69. His sixth deep shot gave the Lakers (45-25) their first lead of the night at 72-71 with 9:05 remaining in the third quarter. The Lakers opened a 13-point lead when he hit his seventh shot from behind the arc with 59.5 seconds left in the third. Doncic scored 19 points in the third, when the Lakers outscored the Heat 38-23 to take a 97-88 lead. Before the game, Lakers coach JJ Redick said his star trio's decision to play on Thursday came down to belief built from a postgame players-only conversation in Houston – a desire to impact the game even if it was on short rest (losing an hour with the trip to Florida and arriving in Miami in the wee hours of the morning). All three Lakers could have taken some respite, rolled over along with the Lakers knowing the hand dealt from NBA scheduling left them worse for woe. Instead, each player each had something to celebrate. Doncic made personal and franchise history, logging his league-leading 13th 40-point game of the season, his second 50-point game as a Laker and his first 60-pointer in purple and gold. James, coming off a 30-point game in Houston, shot 8 for 12 from the field, starting 7 for 7 for the second straight game. And Reaves moved into fifth place on the Lakers' career list for 3-pointers made. Much like a handful of the games during their winning streak, it wasn't perfect. A lackadaisical first quarter ended with the Heat (38-32) shooting 63% from the field to put the Lakers in a 42-29 hole. The Lakers found few answers for Miami center Bam Abedayo who scored nine points (of his 28 total to go with nine rebounds) in the first quarter. As the game progressed, the Lakers' intensity rose. As the clock drained out, and "M-V-P" chants filled Kaseya Arena, Doncic was sent to the foul line one more time. Sitting at 59 points, he missed the first of his two free throws. But Doncic, as he has done in bunches since March 1, won. Or as Doncic would say it, as his 60th point slipped through the net; he's having fun. More to come on this story. Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.