The Los Angeles Lakers have won six consecutive games, and franchise legend Magic Johnson wants to make sure Luka Dončić isn’t getting all the credit.
Following the Lakers’ 124-114 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, November 9, Johnson took to social media to praise Dončić’s performance while delivering a broader message about the team’s supporting cast.
Dončić finished with 32 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, helping Los Angeles improve to 10-2 on the season. But for Johnson, the contributions of several other players were equally deserving of recognition.
The five-time NBA champion specifically highlighted Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Walker Kessler, Ziaire Williams and Adou Thiero in his message about the win.
Magic Johnson Sends Message About Luka Doncic, Lakers Teammates
Johnson made his feelings clear in a Tuesday post on X.
“The Lakers’ win wasn’t just about Luka Doncic (even though he scored 32 points),” Johnson wrote.
He then singled out Sexton’s 18 points, Mamukelashvili’s five three-pointers and 23 points, Kessler’s 21-point, 10-rebound double-double and Williams’ 12 points.
“That production, along with Thiero’s defense, is why they were able to walk away with the win!” Johnson added.
The message wasn’t a criticism of Dončić, who nearly recorded a triple-double while also collecting five steals. Instead, Johnson emphasized the kind of balanced production that could make the Lakers increasingly difficult to beat.
And Monday’s victory provided plenty of evidence.
Mamukelashvili connected on five of his eight three-point attempts and finished with a season-high 23 points. Kessler shot 8-of-12 from the field, while Sexton contributed six assists alongside his 18 points.
Those three players combined for 62 points, exactly half of the Lakers’ total offensive production.
Los Angeles also shot 52.9% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range, according to the NBA’s official box score.
Johnson’s recognition of Thiero was particularly notable. The young forward had recently returned from a knee injury and played just over seven minutes against Atlanta, recording two points, two rebounds and a steal.
Even with Dončić leading the offense, the Lakers had no shortage of contributors.
Lakers Winning Streak Continues Despite Austin Reaves Absence
The significance of Johnson’s message becomes clearer when considering who wasn’t available Monday.
Austin Reaves, who scored 43 points in Sunday’s victory over the Detroit Pistons, missed the Atlanta game because of an illness. Quentin Grimes was also sidelined with a finger injury.
That left Los Angeles without two important backcourt contributors on the second night of a back-to-back.
Dončić, meanwhile, was returning from a one-game absence caused by lower-back tightness.
The Lakers nevertheless built a 20-point lead in the second quarter, with Dončić distributing the ball and Sexton helping create scoring opportunities for Kessler around the basket.
Atlanta eventually cut the deficit to four points late in the fourth quarter, but Los Angeles responded with six consecutive points to secure the victory.
The win improved the Lakers to 10-2, giving them one of the NBA’s strongest starts to the 2026-27 season.
It also demonstrated why Johnson’s assessment matters.
Dončić remains the centerpiece of the Lakers’ offense, but Monday’s performance showed that Los Angeles can survive the absence of another major scorer without forcing its superstar to carry the entire offensive burden.
That’s an encouraging development for a team with championship aspirations.
And with the Lakers preparing to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, November 11, maintaining that balance will be critical to extending their winning streak.
Los Angeles Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Sends Strong Luka Doncic Message