Overview:
A historic night in the NBA saw Luka Dončić explode for 60 points while LeBron James delivered a milestone triple-double, powering the Los Angeles Lakers to their eighth straight win. The statement victory over the Miami Heat further cements the Lakers as a rising force in the Western Conference playoff race.
Mar. 20, 2026
(ABC-Australia) In Miami, Luka Dončić scored 60 points and LeBron James had a triple-double on a night when he tied the NBA record for games played.
The Los Angeles Lakers pushed their season-best winning streak to eight games with a 134-126 win over the Heat (38-32).
It tied the second-most points Dončić ever scored in a game, behind a 73-point night against Atlanta in 2024 and matching a 60-point night against New York in 2022.
Dončić — the NBA’s scoring leader — has now scored at least 30 points in eight consecutive games, while James finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists to help the Lakers (45-25) consolidate third place in the Western Conference.
“It wasn’t even like he was trying to force his way to get it [60 points],” James said.
“I mean, everything came in the flow. Once he got hot in that third [quarter], obviously he had a red hand and he just kept it going and then made some big time plays for us in the fourth … big time, big time, big time.”
Elsewhere on Friday, San Antonio is second in the West, but was pushed all the way by seventh-placed Phoenix.
Victor Wembanyama hit a mid-range pull-up jumper with 1.1 seconds left as the Spurs (52-18) wrapped up a play-off spot to end a six-season drought with a 101-100 win.
Wembanyama had 34 points and 12 rebounds, while Collin Gillespie top-scored for the Suns (39-31) with 24 points.
AAP/AP