Luka Doncic's stats vs. Warriors gives Lakers fans preview of life without LeBron James

KD Jain

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Luka Doncic's stats vs. Warriors gives Lakers fans preview of life without LeBron James image

Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers were without the services of LeBron James for Tuesday's season opener against the Golden State Warriors at home.

James, entering his 23rd NBA season, is expected to miss the first three to four weeks due to a sciatica injury affecting his right side.

In LeBron's absence, Doncic led the Lakers from the front with a historic performance, but it was in vain as the Warriors won the game 119-109. The Slovenian missed out on a triple-double by one assist.

MORE: Luka Doncic joins Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in Lakers’ elite season opener club

How many points did Luka Doncic score vs. Warriors?

  • Points:  43
  • Rebounds: 12
  • Assists: 9
  • Steals: 2
  • Blocks: 1
  • TOs: 3
  • Fouls: 1
  • FG:  17-27
  • 3FG:  2-10
  • FT: 7-10

In 43 minutes, Doncic went 17-of-27 from the field to score 43 points. He struggled from the 3-point line, going 2-of-10, in addition to 7-of-10 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out nine assists, recorded two steals and one block. He committed three turnovers with a -8 plus-minus.

Doncic definitely felt LeBron's absence, especially in the second half, where the Lakers lost steam on defense in the third quarter. The Warriors outscored the Lakers by 10 points (35-25) in that quarter. Apart from Austin Reaves' 26 points, other Lakers stars fell short of expectations, especially Deandre Ayton, who only scored 10 points and committed four turnovers.

On the other end, Jimmy Butler led the Warriors in scoring with 31 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, going 1-2 from deep. Four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry scored 23 points in 32 minutes.

Luka Doncic's first points in the Lakers' season opener 

Luka Doncic was the first one to get into the scoreboard as he made good on the opening tipoff. He was well contested from the 3-point line, but he created separation with a fade-away jumper to make the basket from mid-range.

In LeBron's absence, Doncic will have to continue carrying an extra scoring load. However, other Lakers stars need to match his energy on the court in offense. Meanwhile, the Slovenian will also need to improve on defense when the Lakers are matched against teams with highly powered backcourt players like the Warriors.

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Contributing Writer