Luka Doncic made his presence felt in all facets of the game during the first half of the Los Angeles Lakers' tilt against the New Orleans Pelicans. In addition to scoring a team-high 20 points by halftime, Doncic also recorded a highlight-reel block on the defensive end against Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins.
After rejecting the three-point jumper, Doncic leapt up, caught the ball and proceeded to throw it off the head of an unsuspecting Hawkins, all before he touched the ground. Since Hawkins was standing out of bounds, the Lakers regained possession.
Have a look at the heads-up defensive effort:
HEADS UP DEFENSE FROM LUKA DONČIĆ 🚫🚫
— NBA (@NBA) March 5, 2025
Rejects the triple then throws it off the defender out of bounds!!! pic.twitter.com/n6EN3ml38g
Rather than try to tip-toe the sideline in order to stay in bounds after corralling the ball following his block, Doncic noticed Hawkins was standing out of bounds and deftly bounced the ball off the back of his head.
He won't get credit for a steal, but his quick thinking resulted in a change of possession in favor of Los Angeles.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Luka Doncic Pulled Off a Hilariously Heads-Up Defensive Play vs. Pelicans.
