Luka Doncic scored 45 points on Sunday as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 131-125, but it was his defensive impact that earned him the most postgame praise. Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer at 37.7 points per game, recorded his third 40-plus-point effort in the past four games.
Doncic also made a major impact at the other end. He forced eight turnovers, swiped five steals and drew three charges. He became the first player to record those defensive marks in the same game since player tracking began in 2013-14. He also grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds, all of which came on the defensive end.
Teammates and coaches praise the performance
“Obviously, I’m not the best defender in the NBA, but I think this year, I really took a step forward,” Doncic said. “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.”
Lakers centre Walker Kessler, whom the club traded for in the offseason to bolster a defence that finished 20th in the league in 2025-26, was equally impressed. “Five steals and three charges … incredible,” Kessler said. “You know, incredible. Luka doesn’t get enough credit for his defence.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick highlighted the charges Doncic drew, two against Toronto’s RJ Barrett and one against Scottie Barnes, as a sign of the 27-year-old guard’s leadership. “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.”
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic echoed those views. “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.”
Doncic reflects on his defensive reputation
When a reporter shared Kessler’s and Redick’s praise with Doncic during his postgame news conference, he smiled and said, “Finally.”
Doncic said he did not know why he has a poor defensive reputation. He acknowledged that he took only a handful of charges in 6½ seasons with the Dallas Mavericks before committing more to the tactic 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.”
Mamukelashvili points to will and skill
Sandro Mamukelashvili, who scored 11 points off the bench against his former team, credited Doncic’s determination for his defensive impact. “You can tell he has pride,” Mamukelashvili said. “He has a pride, and he has a hunger. He has a will to not be labelled as that guy who you can just attack.”
Mamukelashvili considered Doncic’s offensive output a matter of pure skill. “You need three guys to guard him,” he said. “I have a feeling that every time Luka plays, it’s like 35-plus [points].”