Luka Doncic brushes aside joining Shaquille O’Neal in elite Laker podium: “Doesn’t matter”

Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-95 to win game 2 of a first round NBA playoff game. - Source: Getty — Luka Doncic came up big once again for the LA Lakers in Game 2 - Source: Getty

Luka Doncic came up big once again for the LA Lakers in Game 2 of their first-round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. He finished just shy of a triple-double, posting 31 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists to help the Lakers even the series at 1-1.

The performance made Doncic just the third player in Lakers history to score at least 30 points in each of his first two playoff games with the team, joining George Mikan (1949) and Shaquille O’Neal (1997).

Asked by Taylor Rooks on TNT about joining that exclusive group, Doncic brushed it off.

“That's fine, but it don't matter,” he said. “We got to win no matter what, if I have 30 if I have 10. We just got to win. This isn’t about a player, this is about the team.”

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Doncic scored 37 points in Game 1, but Minnesota caught fire from deep, hitting 21 of 42 from three-point range to set a new franchise playoff record in a 117-95 upset win over the No. 3 seed Lakers.

In Game 2, however, the Timberwolves’ offense stalled, going just 5-for-25 from beyond the arc. Julius Randle (27 points) and Anthony Edwards (25 points) were the only Timberwolves to reach double figures in scoring.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro