Former Man United prospect Joe Thompson dies at 36 after third cancer diagnosis

The second: Luka Doncic has been with Los Angeles Lakers for 2 and a half years, and feels quite comfortable in his new home. He is building chemistry with his new teammates, who are getting used to his brilliant passes, prolific punctuation bursts and burning competitiveness.

But the playoffs begin this weekend, and the Lakers know that they are about to see another side of their Slovenian superstar.

“I like great games,” said Doncic Thorsday with his typical euphemism. “The playoffs are a fun moment. Everyone plays 100 percent. It’s fun to be out there.”

Doncic is one of the main playoff artists of his generation, and is only eliminated one year from his remarkable effort of effort to take the Dallas Mavericks to the significant injury of the NBA finals to his right knee, left ankle and chest.

Doncic is healthier now, and he has LeBron James on his side in spring when the third thirst’s lakers begin the first round against the growing Minnesota Timberwolves in game 1 on Saturday night.

While Los Angeles obtained a difficult confrontation of the opening round for a team that still gathered an identity around its new central piece, the Lakers expect to see something special of Doncic.

“Oh man, it’s exciting,” said the Swingman of the Lakers Dorian Finney-Smith, teammate for Doncic for five seasons in Dallas. “I know that Bro will come with the juice. He loves the moment. Knowing him, he probably also has to calm him down, because he will bark. It will be exciting.”

Doncic faced Minnesota in the playoffs last season, and was one of the best presentations of the series of his career. He led the Mavericks adapts to the Timberwolves in five games in the final conference finals, with an average of 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 2.2 robberies while reaching 23 triples.

Doncic’s full 2024 postseason was outstanding, incredible, led the NBA at playoffs, rebounds and assists, but it was not its most prolific playoff performance. His 28.9 points per game on the section of 22 games actually comprised their lowest score production on their four trips to the postseason.

Can you do something similar on your first trip to the playoffs with the 17 -time NBA Lakers champions? Doncic does not guarantee anything, but he will be hungry and healthy after obtaining seven days off since the Lakers secured no. 3 seeds beating Houston last Friday.

“The goal is to win a championship,” said Doncic. “I think we have a great team. We have guys who are willing to go to war. Everyone stays together. Chemistry is high, so I think we have a chans.”

Doncic’s support cast in Hollywood is more impression than in Dallas last season, when Kyrie Irving was the only other important offensive taxpayer. Together with the top scorer in the NBA history, the Lakers also have the third option capable of Austin Reaves and a solid role-playing gallery in a team that has gone 19-12 since Doncic Artió.

Doncic has an average of 28.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in its 28 games with the Lakers, only 21 of those with James and Reaves throughout it. That is not much time to build a dynamic winner of the championship, but Doncic and James have extensive experience as post -time leaders and winners.

And whatever Doncic manages to achieve, his teammates know that he will do it with style.

“He is smiling on the court and out of the court, speaking a lot of garbage at the bank or with the fans who are choosing that he yells, and is exciting,” said Finney-Smith. “He brings an emotion to the game. You make incredible pass. That last game (regular season), Houston’s game, I cut, thinking that I was going to throw the ball. He threw my direction and he was like you?