It was a back-to-back matchup for both the Lakers and Bucks. While fatigue might have been a factor, the Bucks seemed to be more worn down than the Lakers in their blowout loss on Saturday. Los Angeles simply outplayed the Bucks with its early commanding lead. Who else, but Luka Doncic, led the way with 41 points.

The Lakers shot efficiently, with Austin Reaves’ 25 points and Deandre Ayton’s 20 points chipping in. While the Lakers were dominating from the start, it was Doncic who turned out deadly on the free-throw line. He made 18 of his 20 free-throw attempts, much to the Bucks’ coach Doc Rivers’ dismay. By the second quarter, and a 65-34 lead, the scoreboard and the foul line were both all Luka. Milwaukee could never recover.

The numbers underline just how overwhelmed Milwaukee looked. They scored only 34 first-half points, their fourth-lowest first-half total since 2014-15, while the Lakers, playing without LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Marcus Smart, built a 31-point cushion by the break and never let it go. Los Angeles shot 49.4% from the field and 30-of-33 from the line overall, turning the second night of a back-to-back into a stress test that the Bucks clearly failed.

Now, picture this: against the backdrop of their harrowing loss, HC Doc Rivers was the one made to answer the consequences of Luka’s performance. The interviewer asked, “He almost shot as many free throws as you did as a team … I know he does it, but 20 is a lot. What did you see?” In other words, Rivers was being asked to explain how one player could nearly equal his entire squad in free-throw attempts.

Rivers, who has been blaming the team’s underwhelming performance on tiredness, started by giving credit to Doncic, “Luca is good,” he said, but he had a problem with the officiating and what he saw as a loophole. He argued that on some of those calls, “the contact was Luca’s foot kicking out.” He even questioned the challenge system, “If you can’t challenge a shot … I don’t know how you guard anybody.”

Rivers’ frustration is also arriving in a season where whistles are up across the board. Through the first weeks of 2025-26, the league is averaging 45.7 fouls per game and 29.8 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, both the highest in roughly 30 years. Coaches around the NBA have complained that guarding star ball-handlers without gifting free throws is becoming harder by the week.

Rivers went further, questioning Luka’s defense, “I could have scored eight points a game … ten points.” Basically, he was trying to imply that the rules and the way they were officiated created an advantage for Doncic. While this cannot possibly be the case, on the court, even Luka could feel the tension.

The numbers don’t exactly paint Doncic as a lockdown stopper  the Lakers’ defensive rating with him on the floor (around 115–116) is roughly league average and slightly worse than when he sits. But Los Angeles has tried to build a functional defense around his offensive genius. Marcus Smart has become the tone-setter at the point of attack, and JJ Redick’s scheme has been more about covering Doncic’s load than hiding a complete liability. That context makes Rivers’ ‘I could score eight’ jab feel more like Gamesmanship 101 than a scouting report.

Luka Doncic taunted Doc Rivers to challenge a foul call in the closing minutes of the 119-95 Lakers win. Rivers fell for it and went for the review, but the challenge failed. Luka ended up converting the three free throws. Doc’s unsuccessful challenge cost the Bucks a timeout. League data shows that around 60% of coaches’ challenges have been successful over the last two seasons, which only makes Rivers’ failed gamble sting even more.

Luka taunts Giannis after missed free throws

In the final moments of the third quarter, the score was 92-72, and the game delivered another hilarious moment. Luka had just been whistled for a foul on Giannis Antetokounmpo.  A call Luka clearly disagreed with. Giannis, who is not statistically great with free throws, stepped to the line but ended up airballing. Luka voiced his frustration the old-school way, screaming “Ball don’t lie!” referring to the iconic Rasheed Wallace catchphrase.

Giannis had missed not one but both free throws. The Lakers were already in control in the last game of their five-game road trip, making their score 7-2 for away games.

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Luka continues to rewrite Lakers history books, and last night was a testament. With his 41-point explosion, he officially tied Magic Johnson for the 10th-most 40-point games in Lakers history, and he’s done it after only 33 games in purple and gold, just a few weeks into his first full season with the franchise.

With this game, Luka’s average now stands at 33.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game in the 2025-26 season. He is shooting 46.9% from the field so far. And for the Los Angeles Lakers, they have now compiled a 10-4 record and currently sit first in the Pacific Division. Their next matchup is against the Utah Jazz.