Doncic Drops 36 as Lakers Edge Rockets 100-92, Stretch Winning Run to Six
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Luka Doncic scored a game-high 36 points on Monday night, pushing the Los Angeles Lakers past the Houston Rockets 100-92 and extending the club’s winning streak to six games.
The All-Star guard set the tone early, exploiting Houston’s defense with his size and footwork to keep Los Angeles in front. He finished with six rebounds, four assists and two steals, maintaining his place atop the NBA scoring chart for the 2025-26 season.
While buckets came easily in the first half, both offenses stalled after the break. The fourth quarter turned into a possession-by-possession battle, but the Lakers’ veteran core preserved the lead. Los Angeles now holds the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed and sits 1.5 games ahead of Houston.
Deandre Ayton supplied the late spark. Scoreless until the second half, the center grabbed six offensive boards—including multiple late putbacks—on his way to seven points and 11 rebounds. His interior work flipped a matchup Houston had controlled on the glass most of the night.
The Rockets briefly pulled within one possession midway through the final period, yet timely stops and Ayton’s second-chance points secured the outcome.
Up Next
The teams meet again Wednesday in a contest that will decide their head-to-head tiebreaker. The Lakers then continue the road trip Thursday against the Miami Heat.
Source: LakersNation.com