The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 124-114 on Monday night, securing their sixth straight win behind a massive 32-point performance from Luka Doncic. Victor Wembanyama also delivered a dominant showing for the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 40 points in a blowout victory over the Phoenix Suns. The Hawks fell to 7-5 as their four-game winning streak came to an end.
Doncic recorded two blocks, five steals, eight rebounds, and 10 assists in the road win across the stat sheet. The Lakers shot 43 percent from three-point range, hitting 15 of 35 attempts to keep their offense moving. Walker Kessler added 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Collin Sexton contributed 18 points off the bench. The team played without Austin Reaves due to illness and Quentin Grimes due to injury, yet still managed to pull away late in the game.
Lakers Depth Shines Without Key Starters
Los Angeles proved they can win even when their rotation takes a hit. The absence of Austin Reaves, who scored 43 points just one day earlier against Detroit, forced other players to step up. Sandro Mamukelashvili rose to the occasion with 23 points, including five made three-pointers. His performance off the bench gave the Lakers a crucial spark they needed to maintain their lead.
Lakers coach JJ Redick praised the effort from his bench players and his star point guard. Redick noted the difficulty of the game but highlighted the specific contributions that mattered most. “I thought Collin did a really nice job of giving us some juice, and Sandro had his best game as a Laker,” Redick said, according to Al Jazeera. He also pointed out the heavy workload placed on Doncic, who had to handle the ball constantly without a secondary playmaker.
“Luka, again, just orchestrating. He was out there without a secondary ball handler, so he had to be on the ball a lot, and that was taxing. I thought he handled it well,” Redick added. The Lakers improved to 10-2 on the season, sitting atop the Western Conference. Their ability to win games in different ways shows they are a serious contender right now.
Hawks Struggle to Close Out Late Games
The Atlanta Hawks had a chance to stay close but could not finish the job. Atlanta cut the Lakers’ lead to 115-111 on a Dyson Daniels basket with 3:30 remaining, but Los Angeles responded with a 6-0 run to pull away. Doncic had a driving layup and an assist during the decisive stretch.
Dyson Daniels primarily defended Doncic and still managed to record 10 points, 8 assists, and 4 steals. He even hit a rare three-pointer for the Hawks. CJ McCollum led Atlanta with 21 points off the bench, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 20 points. Oneka Okongwu contributed 16 points for the Hawks, who have now lost four games in a row.
The loss ends Atlanta’s four-game winning streak and drops them to 7-5 on the season. The team struggled to stop the Lakers’ three-point shooting, which accounted for a large portion of their 124 points. The Hawks need to find a way to get stops in the final minutes if they want to break this losing skid and get back on track.
Wembanyama and Spurs Continue Hot Streak
While the Lakers celebrated a win in Atlanta, the San Antonio Spurs were busy extending their own winning streak to nine games. Victor Wembanyama dropped 40 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, recorded eight blocks, and added three assists in a 122-96 victory over the Phoenix Suns. This performance came just one week after he scored a career-high 52 points.
San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson spoke highly of Wembanyama’s recent form and play. Johnson said the star player is allowing the game to unfold naturally while putting himself in positions to succeed. Johnson spoke of Wembanyama’s rich vein of recent form: “There’s a lot of good going on, obviously.” He also praised the teammates for utilizing Wembanyama effectively when the time is right.
With the Spurs now 9-2 on the season, they remain hot on the heels of the Lakers in the West. Their defense was elite, holding the Suns to just 96 points on the road. With Wembanyama playing at this level and the team on a nine-game run, San Antonio has emerged as a major threat in the conference race.
Other Results From Monday Night
Several other teams played on Monday night with significant results across the league. By crushing the New Orleans Pelicans 138-87, the Golden State Warriors maintained their own winning streak. Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski each tallied 25 points, as rookie Yaxel Lendeborg contributed 23 points. The Warriors improved to 8-3 after their eighth consecutive victory.
In Detroit, the Pistons defeated the Washington Wizards 122-111. John Collins led the way with 24 points and 10 rebounds, helping Detroit overcome a massive 44-point, 13-rebound game from Anthony Davis. The Wizards lost their fourth straight game despite AJ Dybantsa scoring 21 points. For the Wizards in the defeat, Trae Young recorded 20 points and seven assists.
The Hornets snapped a six-game losing streak with a 124-112 win over the Cavaliers. Charlotte shot 23 of 46 from three-point range and built a 33-point lead in the third quarter before Cleveland mounted a late rally. The Cavaliers cut the deficit to eight, but Charlotte held on for the victory. The Cavaliers stumbled to the loss despite Meleek Thomas leading them with 18 points.
