How to relieve worries? Only basketball.

Luka Doncic has been dealing with quite a few troubles lately. The topic of him frequently complaining about foul calls on the court has been brought up again, and recently he was fined $50,000 by the league for making a money-counting gesture toward a referee. Of course, that amount of money isn't much for Doncic, but another matter has been exhausting him physically and mentally recently.

He officially broke up with his fiancée after years together, and it wasn't a peaceful separation—they are now fighting over custody of their two daughters. According to reports, since training camp began last September, Doncic has only spent two days with his daughters.

Doncic's fiancée wants the children to live in Slovenia, while Doncic hopes to bring the family to Los Angeles. The two sides have irreconcilable differences, ultimately leading to the breakup. It's clear that Doncic has been feeling down lately and has even grown a beard.

However, Doncic hasn't brought his off-court emotions onto the court, nor has it affected his performance. Meanwhile, the Lakers' record has been steadily improving. After winning against the Bulls today, they have won seven of their last eight games, rising to third place in the Western Conference.

Today's victory was a typical Lakers-style win this season. The three core players each led the team with solid performances: Doncic scored 51 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists; Reaves added 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists—together they combined for 81 points.

James returned after missing three games. He struggled with his shooting in the first half but adjusted in the second half, finishing with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. This season, James' decline has been rapid, but his ability to adjust on the court has also been noticed by fans. He often disappoints critics in the first half and delights true fans in the second half, covering all bases.

The trio combined for 99 points and 23 assists, nearly matching the offensive output of an entire team in today's game. During James' absence, Doncic and Reaves performed well, leading to some voices claiming James hinders the team. Today's return game proved once again that the three can coexist.

Even Ayton contributed perfectly in this game, scoring 23 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. This season, statistics show that when Ayton scores 20+ points and 10+ rebounds, the Lakers are 11-1; when he scores 10+ points and 10+ rebounds, the Lakers are 17-3. In other words, if you can't even stop Ayton, then stopping Doncic and Reaves becomes even more difficult.

The Lakers' defense remains poor, allowing 130 points today, but they scored even more—142 points, enough to win most games. The Lakers' bench only contributed 5 points, while the starting five exploded for 137 points, ranking fourth in NBA history.

Doncic's 51-point near triple-double today marks his first 50+ game since joining the Lakers, arriving a bit later than expected. Before this game, he already had 10 40+ performances this season, with many opportunities to score 50, but Doncic didn't obsess over that number.

After all, scoring 50 points in a single game isn't too difficult for Doncic. Today's game marks his eighth career 50+ performance, tying Booker among active players and trailing Durant by two.

When Adebayo scored 83 points recently, a statistic noted that among all players who scored 70+, Adebayo had the lowest shooting percentage. Who has the highest? Doncic. In that 73-point game, Doncic shot 25 of 33, 8 of 13 from three-point range, and 15 of 16 from the free-throw line, with a true shooting percentage of 91.2%.

Before Adebayo's performance, I always believed Doncic would eventually challenge Kobe's 81-point record. All he needs is a night of hot shooting and a worthy opponent. Given Doncic's scoring ability, 73 points definitely isn't his ceiling.

Today's game was one where Doncic's shooting was exceptionally hot: 17 of 31, 9 of 14 from three-point range. After a 4 of 11 start in the first quarter, he quickly adjusted and exploded in scoring over the next three quarters. During the Lakers' four-game winning streak, Doncic averaged 40.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists, with a three-point shooting percentage of 44.6%.

A positive sign for the Lakers is that Doncic's three-point shooting has been improving throughout the season. After lows of 33.6% in November and 28.9% in December, since entering 2026, Doncic's three-point percentage reached 39.2% in January, 41.3% in February, and has remained above 40% since March.

Doncic's most unstoppable form comes when he hits pull-up three-pointers, forcing opponents to let him inside the arc. A Doncic who can open up both inside and outside presents limitless offensive threat, drawing assists and passes, entering his most comfortable playing rhythm.

Of course, the Bulls, as a team outside the playoff contention zone, have limited strength. Next, the Lakers face the Nuggets and two games against the Rockets. These three games will directly determine the Lakers' final regular-season ranking, and the performance in these games will also dictate how far the Lakers can go this season.

In the past, during games where Doncic shot well, he could laugh and joke throughout. Today, Doncic restrained himself more, but still smiled after the game. Off-court troubles swirl around, but how to relieve worries? Only basketball.