Luka Dončić’s 60-point dominance led former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins to retract his comments about the Los Angeles Lakers’ mainstay.
Earlier, Cousins had stirred controversy by stating he would put the mercurial guard on the All-NBA second team. However, the Lakers superstar’s continuous string of electric performances saw the former center take back his claims.
DeMarcus Cousins Changes His Tune on Luka Dončić After 60-Point Explosion
Taking to X, Cousins was quick to admit he was on the wrong end of his earlier take. Not only did he believe Dončić deserved first-team honors, but he also cautioned other teams against the surging purple and gold unit.
“Yeah, I was wrong asf!!” the four-time All-Star said. “Luca 1st team without a doubt and also time to have some real convo about MVP this season cause sheeeessshh!! This version of the Lakers is a scary team come playoffs!”
Previously, he had stated that he couldn’t put Dončić over the likes of some Eastern Conference stars and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “I can’t put him over Cade Cunningham. I can’t put him over Jaylen Brown, obviously Shai.”
Dončić’s historic night also saw ESPN analyst and former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins retract his earlier statement that the guard did not deserve the first-team cut.
“The Lakers got into Miami at 4 am this morning, and Luka decides to drop a 60-piece all flats??? I’m going to have to drop somebody, but he’s definitely got me rethinking who’s going to be my five players for first team All-NBA. God bless America,” Perkins tweeted.
Dončić torched the Miami Heat with his elite scoring on Thursday. The Slovenian expertly broke down the team’s defensive strategies to notch a 60-point blitz, a feat last achieved by the franchise’s late Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant.
After a slow start, the Lakers were fueled by Dončić’s 21 points in the first half. He turned on the jets soon after, adding 19 points in the third quarter and dropping 20 in the fourth to quash all hopes of a Heat comeback. He shot 18 of 30 from the field, coupled with 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals.
Regarding his performance, the guard was all smiles, pleased with his 5 steals. He also spoke of the emotions he felt when MVP chants rang out at the Kaseya Center in the final minutes of the game.
“You hear the whole crowd chanting ‘MVP,’ that’s what I think every player wants to hear,” Dončić said, per The Athletic. “So I got a lot of goosebumps. It was pretty special.”
With the win, the Lakers are now 45-25 and third in the Western Conference.
Dončić has been playing at an MVP level this season. The playmaker averages a league-high 33.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 8.4 assists in 58 games this season.
The six-time NBA All-Star has been LA’s driving force on offense. Now, the focus for the Lakers is to make a deep run in their first full season with the franchise.
