JJ Redick Drops Bold Luka Doncic MVP Claim After 60-Point Lakers Game

Luka Doncic scored 60 points, his most in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, on Thursday night against the Miami Heat, and while his MVP odds were already surging over the past few weeks, chatter about the Slovenian rising the ladder for the top award has only increased with his recent play.

Speaking after the Lakers’ win, and about Doncic’s 60-point performance, head coach JJ Redick dropped a bold claim about the star’s MVP odds, and why he might not be a favorite to win, despite the heights he’s brought to the team amid their winning streak in March.

In March, Doncic is averaging 37.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists on 50.2/41/75.5 shooting splits. He now has a 60-point game and a 50-point game, two triple-doubles, and eight consecutive games with at least 30 points, while the Lakers are 10-1 and on an eight-game winning streak.

“I think some of it [for Doncic] is just being clearheaded,” Redick added about Doncic’s improved play in the Lakers’ recent stretch. “With all that’s happened with our team, he’s just in a really good place and he typically performs at his best when he’s clearheaded. And that’s what we spent a lot of the season trying to get to, not just for him, but for all our guys.”

Doncic’s backcourt star teammate, Austin Reaves, also chimed in on Doncic’s MVP chances this season.

“Leading the league in scoring,” Reaves said. “I said to somebody he was leading the league in a lot of things. [The Lakers are] third in the West. I don’t know. I couldn’t see a reason why he’s not, so I don’t really know. I don’t think what I say is going to really matter, but he definitely should be in that conversation.”

Luka Doncic Talks MVP Odds Amid Historic Stretch

GettyLuka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring a three-pointer against the Miami Heat.

While both Doncic’s head coach and teammates have been making a recent push for the 27-year-old to take home the MVP, the star himself made a brief comment on how he views his chances of winning the award.

“It’s you guys, the media [that votes],” Doncic said. “I ain’t got nothing to do with it.”

As Reaves mentioned, Doncic leads the NBA in scoring, while also being third in assists. Though he was an early-season favorite to win the MVP, his odds faded through the first half of the season.

However, with his play over the past month, and the Lakers’ success climbing up the Western Conference standings, he’s suddenly looking more and more like a realistic candidate to challenge Gilgeous-Alexander for the MVP.

Doncic received ‘MVP’ chants during Los Angeles’ game against the Heat in Miami’s arena, in the game in which he scored 60 points, his highest total for the Lakers since being traded to the team last February.

He became the first player for the franchise to hit the 60-point mark since Kobe Bryant did it in his final career game. Doncic has also broken numerous team and league records over the past few weeks, all while the Lakers have been on their best streak of the season.

The MVP award has traditionally been tied to team success, and while the Lakers were in the middle of the playoff pack in the West, they’ve quickly climbed to hold a solid spot in the third seed in the standings, making his case for the award even stronger, despite Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder still holding the best record in the NBA.

On the season, Doncic is averaging 33.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 8.4 assists on 47.7% shooting. He holds the advantage over Gilgeous-Alexander in many statistical categories, but still ranks behind the reigning award winner in MVP odds this season.

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