JJ Redick: Luka Doncic 'Fantastic' in Lakers' Win, 'Maybe It’s an Inner Demon'

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick hailed star guard Luka Dončić as "fantastic" in the team's 108-102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

"It was that verve and that spirit of competition," Redick said after the victory. "Maybe it's an inner demon, I don't know—but it comes out and it's fantastic for us when it does."

Dončić scored a team-high 29 points and nearly had a double-double as he added nine assists and six rebounds.

"It just seemed like throughout the game, when we needed a bucket, when we needed him to draw a second, third defender at times, he was able to make the right play—minus the six turnovers," Redick said of the five-time All-Star.

Following his shocking trade from the Dallas Mavericks, Dončić missed his first three games with L.A. as he recovered from the calf strain he suffered in December. Upon making his debut in purple in gold, the 6'6" playmaker was shaking off some rust and getting acclimated to his new surroundings. In his first three appearances, he averaged 14.7 points on 35.6 percent shooting.

Nobody was overreacting too much, but one conclusion was that Dončić might've needed a longer adjustment period than first thought.

Instead, he has quickly returned to his dominant self on the court as the Lakers have collectively enjoyed a hot stretch. Their winning streak is now at six games and they sit second in the Western Conference at 38-21.

It's too early to call Los Angeles a championship favorite, but the team can make a deep postseason run as long as Dončić continues to channel his "inner demon."