Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains neck-and-neck with Victor Wembanyama at the forefront of this season’s NBA MVP race, with Luka Dončić lingering as a dark-horse candidate.
While the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar has faced frequent accusations of “foul-baiting” amid his bid for his second straight MVP, according to veteran NBA analyst Skip Bayless, Dončić is the league’s true “free-throw merchant.”
Skip Bayless Calls Out Luka Dončić’s High-Volume Free-Throw Shooting After Lakers Star’s Historic Month
Dončić just capped off a March for the ages, tallying a whopping 600 points, the most in Los Angeles Lakers history and second-most all-time in the month.
The six-time All-Star achieved the feat during Tuesday’s 127-113 home victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, tallying a game-high 42 points on the final night of March as LA dismantled the aspiring Eastern Conference contender.
Luka’s NBA-leading 16th 40-point game was MAGIC 🪄
42 PTS
12 AST
6 3PM
Lakers WAlso becomes the third-youngest player to reach 15,000 career points, trailing just LeBron (25) and KD (26) 👏 pic.twitter.com/ojR3kseJ7H
— NBA (@NBA) April 1, 2026
Dončić shot a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line during his big night, on par with his league-leading average of 10.1 attempts per game at the charity stripe.
That paled in comparison to Gilgeous-Alexander’s 25 free-throw attempts during OKC’s 114-110 overtime home win over the Detroit Pistons a night earlier. Still, Bayless couldn’t help but seek to set the record straight on one of the NBA’s most prominent narratives.
“Luka is averaging 10.1 free-throw attempts per game, making [77.9%]. SGA is averaging 9.4 free-throw attempts per game, making [88%]. YET SGA IS THE ‘FREE-THROW MERCHANT’???” Bayless tweeted Tuesday evening after LA’s fourth straight win.
Luka is averaging 10.1 free throw attempts per game, making 78%. SGA is averaging 9.4 free throw attempts per game, making 85%. YET SGA IS THE “FREE THROW MERCHANT”???
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 1, 2026
Both Dončić and Gilgeous-Alexander rely heavily on their knack for foul-drawing to boost their No. 1 (33.8 ppg) and No. 2 scoring averages (31.6 ppg), respectively.
While Gilgeous-Alexander’s backlash has centered on him arguably damaging the integrity of the game, Dončić’s MVP campaign has faced speed bumps due to his early-season defensive lapses and frequent gripes with officials.
Regardless, Dončić doesn’t appear too concerned with winning over MVP voters. Upon being asked to make his case for the league’s most prestigious individual award on Tuesday, the 27-year-old offered a blunt response.
“I’m not the one voting, but I think I’ve been playing pretty good,” Dončić said. “We’ve been winning, so that’s it. That’s all I gotta say.”
Luka’s response when I asked him if he wanted to state his MVP case:
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) April 1, 2026
Tuesday’s victory marked the Lakers’ 16th in their last 18 games, as Dončić’s offensive dominance and a renewed team defensive effort have cemented their status as an upper-echelon Western Conference team.
Still, the Lakers (50-26) trail Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder (60-16) and Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs (57-18) by insurmountable margins with just six outings remaining, casting doubt on Dončić’s MVP chances.
