“Hell, yeah” - Luka Doncic is all smiles as he embraces Laker Nation after 6th win in a row

Luka Doncic guided the LA Lakers to their sixth straight victory on Sunday, defeating the LA Clippers 108-102 at home. Afterward, the superstar guard touched on his growing comfortability playing at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic finished with a team-best 29 points, six rebounds, nine assists, two steals and five 3-pointers, shooting 52.9%. His well-rounded performance, combined with rookie sharpshooter Dalton Knecht's 19-point effort, helped the Lakers overcome injuries to starters Austin Reaves (calf) and Rui Hachimura (knee).

In addition to their winning streak, the Lakers (38-21) have gone 18-4 since Jan. 15 to climb to second in the Western Conference. That includes a 6-2 mark with Doncic, whom they acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster trade early last month.

Following his latest standout showing, Doncic was asked whether he enjoys playing at his new home venue. The five-time All-Star, who was all smiles postgame, expressed an affinity for Crypto.com Arena.

"Hell, yeah. It's nice," Doncic said.

That marks good news for Laker Nation, as Doncic's long-term future in LA isn't set in stone. The Slovenian megastar is under contract next season, with a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 campaign.

However, given his postgame comments, Doncic appears content with his change of scenery thus far.

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Luka Doncic on teams getting up to play Lakers

During Sunday's postgame interview, Luka Doncic also weighed in on teams giving the Lakers their best shots on a nightly basis. The 2024 NBA scoring champion quipped that he was skeptical about the common belief that injured players typically return against LA until he joined the franchise.

"I didn't believe it before, but they say if somebody is out a long time, then they play against the Lakers," Doncic said. "... So, I think that's normal (now)."

Given his early production, Doncic appears ready for the challenge with his new squad.

Across eight outings with the Purple and Gold, Doncic is averaging 22.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.4 3-pointers per game. He has tallied 29-plus points in three of his last five appearances.

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