The Los Angeles Lakers kept their strong start rolling with a 130 to 120 win over the Miami Heat at Crypto.com Arena. After logging another triple-double, Luka Doncic chose to talk defense. He steered the conversation toward two teammates who tilted the game with effort and urgency, rookie Bronny James and veteran Marcus Smart.
Doncic praised Bronny first, and he did it with intention. “He was great,” Doncic said, per Fadeaway World. “In those kind of moments, you never know if you’re gonna play or not. He was ready, and that means a lot to us, and he was ready to go at the right moment. So he played great today, he was great defensively. And we expect him to do that, and it was amazing.” Those words matched the film. Bronny stayed active in passing lanes, kept the ball in front, and stayed poised when the arena tightened in the fourth quarter.
Bronny James earns crunch-time trust
Head coach JJ Redick kept the rookie on the floor late, and Bronny rewarded that trust. He played a season-high 18 minutes, including a key closing stretch. He finished with two points, two assists, and three steals, but the numbers tell only part of the story. His containment on the perimeter and timely digs bothered Miami’s guards and short-circuited actions the Heat rely on to free shooters. The crowd noticed, his teammates noticed, and the staff noticed most of all.
With LeBron James out, the Lakers needed fresh legs and clean decisions. Bronny delivered both. He did not hunt shots, he connected actions, and he turned defense into offense when he jumped a passing lane. Redick echoed Doncic postgame and framed the minutes as earned, not gifted. For a 21-year-old guard learning on the fly, closing a win against a disciplined opponent marks a real step.
Marcus Smart’s tone setting, plus a milestone
Doncic also lifted up Smart, the heartbeat of the backcourt. “It’s unbelievable impact,” Doncic said. “I play against this guy a lot. He was always guarding me, so I know how I feel for the other team. So I’m glad he’s on my team, and the impact he has, it’s unbelievable. He’s been hustling every game, every moment, every minute, every second, so props to him.” That impact showed from the opening tip. Smart pressed, pointed, and organized. He met ball handlers early, funneled drives, and erased comfort.
The defining play arrived in the second quarter when Smart rose to block Jaime Jaquez Jr., a jolt that sharpened Los Angeles on both ends, Azat reports. He kept stacking winning moments with two steals and several deflections that forced the Heat into awkward, late-clock possessions. His work fed teammates, and the dominoes fell. Doncic, Jake LaRavia, and Bronny joined the theft parade, and the Lakers piled up more than nine combined steals from that trio as part of 14 forced turnovers overall.
Smart’s night also carried history. He recorded his 1,000th career steal by stripping Heat center Kel’el Ware, then threw it behind his back for a Rui Hachimura dunk the other way, SSB Crack reports. Basketball Reference lists him as the 21st active player to reach four digits in steals. Through seven games, Smart averages 9.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 steals in 27 minutes, and he owns a team-best plus minus of plus 56, a mark that sits among the league’s top figures. Those numbers back up what eyes can see, a veteran who raises the floor and hardens the identity.
The Lakers never trailed. Luka Doncic controlled tempo with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Austin Reaves added 26 points and 11 assists. The separation came from collective defense. Miami shot 33 percent from three and committed 15 turnovers, many generated by pressure from the Lakers’ guards. As Los Angeles moved to 5 and 2, Doncic’s message landed clean. This team will score, but the ceiling rises when Smart’s voice and Bronny’s activity make defense the headline.
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