Doncic leads Lakers to sixth straight win as Wembanyama scores 40 for Spurs
Los Angeles stayed atop the Western Conference with victory in Atlanta, while San Antonio and Golden State extended their winning streaks.
By Hassan Ellis ·
Luka Doncic scored 32 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 124-114 on Monday, securing a sixth consecutive NBA victory and maintaining their place at the top of the Western Conference. The road win lifted Los Angeles to 10-2, while Atlanta dropped to 7-5.
Doncic contributed across the court, finishing with 10 assists, eight rebounds, five steals and two blocks alongside his scoring total. The Slovenian, who is averaging 40 points per game this season, again played a central role as the Lakers continued their strong start to the campaign.
Sandro Mamukelashvili provided 23 points off the bench, hitting five three-pointers, while Walker Kessler scored 21. Collin Sexton added 18 points and Ziaire Williams finished with 12. Their contributions helped Los Angeles secure the victory with Austin Reaves absent through illness and Quentin Grimes sidelined by injury.
Lakers coach JJ Redick praised Sexton for bringing energy and described Mamukelashvili’s performance as his best for the team. He also highlighted the demands placed on Doncic, who spent considerable time controlling the ball without a secondary ball handler. Redick said Doncic managed that workload well despite the strain.
San Antonio remained close behind Los Angeles in the Western Conference after a 122-96 road victory over the Phoenix Suns. The Spurs improved to 9-2 and stretched their winning run to nine games, with Victor Wembanyama producing another commanding performance after scoring a career-high 52 points last week.
Wembanyama finished with 40 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks and three assists against Phoenix. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson credited him with letting the game develop naturally and finding positions from which to exploit opportunities. Johnson also praised Wembanyama’s teammates for recognising when to bring him into the play.
Golden State extended its own winning streak to eight games by defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 138-87. Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski each scored 25 points, and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg supplied another 23 as the Warriors moved to 8-3.
Elsewhere on Monday, John Collins scored 24 points in Detroit’s 122-111 victory over the Washington Wizards, taking the Pistons to 7-3. Memphis reached the same record with a 118-102 win against the Toronto Raptors. Cleveland lost 124-112 to the Charlotte Hornets.
Houston ended a two-game losing streak with a 110-100 home win over Denver, despite Jamal Murray’s 38 points for the Nuggets. Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 23 points, while Alperen Sengun contributed 20.
