S³ NBA COVERAGE
November 12, 2026 | Sweet Science Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers are making it increasingly difficult for the rest of the NBA to ignore them.
Eleven wins in thirteen games. Seven consecutive victories. The best record in basketball.
Not many people expected Los Angeles to come out of the gate playing this well, but Luka Dončić and the Lakers have other plans.
Wednesday night's 123-112 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks was another example of a team that is beginning to find its identity. Dončić led the way with 32 points, but the Lakers are discovering that they have more ways to win than simply asking their superstar to score 40 every night.
That's what should concern the rest of the Western Conference.
Luka Is Playing Like a Man on a Mission
Dončić entered Wednesday's game leading the NBA in scoring at 39.3 points per game.
Against Milwaukee, he finished with 32 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.
He shot just 10-of-25 from the field, but connected on five three-pointers and scored 16 points in the opening quarter.
That's the kind of offensive ability that makes Dončić so difficult to defend. Even when his overall shooting percentage isn't particularly impressive, he can still control a game.
Milwaukee experienced that in the first quarter.
The Bucks opened with a 7-2 advantage before the Lakers responded with nine unanswered points. Dončić quickly established his offensive rhythm, and Los Angeles never allowed Milwaukee to take control again.
The Lakers led 61-50 at halftime before stretching their advantage to 94-73 entering the fourth quarter.
Dončić didn't need to dominate every possession.
His teammates were taking care of business.
The Lakers Are Getting Contributions From Everywhere
Sandro Mamukelashvili is becoming one of the more interesting stories surrounding this Lakers team.
The former Milwaukee draft pick returned to face the franchise that selected him in 2021 and delivered 23 points off the bench.
It was his second consecutive 23-point performance.
Austin Reaves added 18 points after missing Monday's victory over Atlanta because of illness.
Walker Kessler contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Collin Sexton added another 10 points.
| Lakers player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Dončić | 32 | 5 | 5 |
| Sandro Mamukelashvili | 23 | 3 | 2 |
| Austin Reaves | 18 | 3 | 5 |
| Walker Kessler | 10 | 11 | 3 |
| Collin Sexton | 10 | 1 | 3 |
And then there's Jake LaRavia.
He didn't score a single point Wednesday, missing all four of his field-goal attempts.
But he finished with nine rebounds and six assists.
That's basketball.
Everybody doesn't have to score 20 points to help a team win. LaRavia found ways to contribute without making a shot.
The Lakers also collected 19 offensive rebounds and finished with 32 assists.
They're starting to look like a team that understands how to play together.
Los Angeles Is Winning More Than One Way
The Lakers didn't shoot Milwaukee out of the building Wednesday.
They shot 46.3 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range.
What separated the two teams was Los Angeles' ability to create additional opportunities.
The Lakers outrebounded Milwaukee 59-45 and converted 19 Bucks turnovers into 28 points.
Those possessions matter.
A missed shot doesn't necessarily end a Lakers possession when Kessler, LaRavia and the rest of the frontcourt are attacking the glass.
And when Milwaukee made mistakes, Los Angeles made them pay.
The Bucks actually outscored the Lakers 39-29 in the fourth quarter, but much of that damage came after Los Angeles had built a comfortable lead.
The game was essentially decided during a third quarter in which the Lakers outscored Milwaukee 33-23.
Los Angeles controlled the middle two quarters, built a 21-point advantage and gave itself enough room to withstand Milwaukee's late push.
That's the difference between simply having talented players and playing winning basketball.
Are the Lakers Legitimate Championship Contenders?
It's becoming a fair question.
At 11-2, the Lakers have earned their place in the conversation.
Dončić is performing at an MVP level, Reaves continues to provide offensive production, and the supporting cast is finding ways to contribute.
The development of that supporting cast might be the most encouraging part of their start.
The Lakers don't need Mamukelashvili to score 23 every night. They don't need Kessler to dominate offensively. They don't even need LaRavia to score to get meaningful production from him.
They need those players to do their jobs.
And right now, they're doing them.
There are still questions.
Milwaukee entered Wednesday with only one victory, so beating the Bucks isn't the same as defeating San Antonio, Houston or Oklahoma City at full strength.
The Lakers also have to prove they can sustain this level of play over an 82-game season.
But seven consecutive victories aren't an accident.
Eleven wins in thirteen games aren't something to dismiss.
The Lakers have already shown they can win games when Dončić carries the scoring load and when their supporting cast gets involved.
That's encouraging for a team whose championship aspirations depend on more than one superstar.
The Western Conference Is Getting Interesting
San Antonio has been impressive. Houston is beginning to establish itself as a serious contender. Minnesota has the talent to challenge anyone, while Portland is gaining confidence after consecutive victories over Oklahoma City.
The Thunder remain dangerous, but injuries have exposed just how important their depth is to their success.
And right in the middle of this increasingly competitive conference are the Lakers, sitting at 11-2.
Los Angeles wasn't supposed to be the team setting the early pace.
Yet here we are.
The Lakers will eventually hit a difficult stretch. Every team does.
How they respond to that adversity will tell us more about their championship potential than anything they've accomplished in November.
But for now, the Lakers have earned the attention they're receiving.
S³ Assessment
Luka Dončić is playing some of the best basketball of his career, and the Lakers are doing something even more important than producing impressive individual performances.
They're winning together.
The contributions from Mamukelashvili, Reaves, Kessler and the rest of the rotation are giving Los Angeles the balance it needs to compete in a loaded Western Conference.
Eleven wins. Two losses. Seven straight victories.
The Lakers are no longer just an interesting early-season story.
They're putting the league on notice.
