Luka Doncic shows respect to MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of blockbuster Lakers-Thunder game 

During the postgame interview following the LA Lakers home win against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, Luka Doncic showed respect to MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Discussing the Lakers' upcoming back-to-back matchups against the OKC Thunder, Doncic highlighted SGA's contribution as part of the significant challenge that lies ahead.

"Definitely a big challenge. We all know how they play. They're first in the West for a reason...They have a guy playing at an MVP level," Doncic said. "It's gonna be a big, big challenge for us."

With just five games remaining in the regular season, the LA Lakers are currently in the tight Western Conference standings with a 47-30 record. They are just two games ahead of the eighth seed, making all remaining games a crucial opportunity to grab a win and hold on to a spot on the higher end of the ladder.

However, the top-seeded OKC Thunder just snapped their 11-game losing streak following a 111-125 road loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday. While it is a major challenge, the Lakers do stand a reasonable chance of taking down the Thunder on the road, given that their star players step up to it.

Luka Doncic bounces back to lead Lakers to win over Pelicans

After losing the first leg of their back-to-back nights against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, the LA Lakers clinched a 108-124 home win against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. Luka Doncic led their victory charge in the second game with 35 points, six rebounds and six assists while shooting 10-for-21 from the field.

This came after Doncic's underwhelming performance against the Warriors in the Lakers' 123-116 home loss the day before. The five-time NBA All-Star ended the night with 19 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a block while shooting 6-for-17 from the field, including 0-for-6 from deep.

Displeased with his shooting performance, Doncic took accountability for the loss during the postgame conference.

"I think they were playing good defense," Doncic said. "I think we didn't play with enough trust — especially me. So, that performance from me is unacceptable. When I play like that, it makes [it harder] for the team to win, so just gotta figure it out."

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In the 23 games he played as a Laker so far, Luka Doncic averaged 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 41.2% from the field, including 35.1% from beyond the arc. With the playoffs approaching, the LA Lakers need Doncic to play his best as they look to have a deep run this season.