Nick Smith Jr. generated plenty of buzz across the league on Monday after his breakout performance helped the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers. His superstar teammate Luka Doncic showed him some love afterward through an Instagram story.
The former Charlotte Hornets guard put up 25 points on 10-15 shooting from the field and 5-6 from three and also dished out six assists off the bench. Every bit of his production was much needed by the Lakers, who were without Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
Smith Jr. caught fire at the right time, as he scored eight points on a pair of 3-pointers and a layup to cut the Blazers' lead to 51-49 late in the second quarter.