"Luka was just cookin' Melo and especially LeBron" - Skip Bayless with high praise for Luka Doncic for his heroics vs LeBron James and co. as they win vs LA Lakers

The Dallas Mavericks were on the verge of a stunning collapse against LeBron James and the LA Lakers before Luka Doncic's magical fourth quarter. Showing off big-game chops, the Slovenian superstar displayed his brilliance in the crucial moments of the game to hand James and the Hollywood squad another painful loss.

The titanic battle between Doncic and James began to heat up in the third period when the Lakers’ superstar orchestrated a 22-7 run. 'King James' led the mighty comeback with crucial plays, including three deep three-point shots, the last of which tied the game. Doncic, though, would have the final say.

Doncic’s jaw-dropping performance against James and Carmelo Anthony in the pivotal period unfailingly caught Skip Bayless’ eye:

“Luka was just cookin’ Melo and especially LeBron when they tried to defend him down the stretch.”

The Dallas Mavericks point guard primarily targeted LeBron James in the dying minutes of the game. Unbelievably, the 3x All-Star called for switches so he could test the Lakers superstar’s defense. On two different occasions, the 22-year-old former Rookie of the Year cooked James with a one-legged fadeaway jump shot and blew by him for a floater.

Carmelo Anthony, on the few occasions that he switched to Luka Doncic, was also helpless in stopping the latter’s fadeaway. Doncic’s bucket over Anthony signaled the finishing touches of the Dallas Mavericks' run to beat the Lakers. After scoring on Anthony, the All-Star starter added four more crucial points against LeBron James.

The LA Lakers were up 97-94 with a little over seven minutes left in the game. Behind Luka Doncic, they dropped a 15-7 run with their savvy leader responsible for 13 of those 15 points. If not for some Luka Magic, the Lakers could have had the win they desperately needed.

---

Luka Doncic was better in the clutch against LeBron James

The LA Lakers had no answer for Luka Doncic's mesmerizing and magical big-game talent. [Photo: Lakers Daily]

It was very obvious down the stretch who was the best player on the floor for both the LA Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. After a scorching-hot third-quarter, LeBron James ran out of gas and eventually airballed a desperate three-point shot with 22 seconds left in the game.

Luka Doncic, on the other hand, was a sight to behold. His playmaking was impeccable and his ability to hit one clutch shot after another was simply incredible. More importantly, Doncic’s crucial plays dragged the Mavericks to the finish line against the suddenly impotent LA Lakers down the stretch.

Skip Bayless, who’s been praising Doncic’s big-game heroics over LeBron James, stressed this point after the game:

“Luka closed. LeBron, as often been the case, could not.”

Recommended Video

Guess the Lakers players!