Luka Doncic’s impact with the Lakers is clear, with Los Angeles’ fans showering the start with love before Game 2(Image: Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES – Lakers fans quickly have made Luka Doncic feel at home in just his second playoff game wearing the Purple and Gold in Los Angeles’ 94-85 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Doncic was traded to Los Angeles in February, a deal that deeply hurt the Slovenian star, as evidenced by how he was spotted crying in his first game back in Dallas, this time as an opposing player. Since his arrival, LeBron James and the Lakers organization have done what they could to make the young star feel welcome in his new home, with James even allowing Doncic to be called last during player introductions when he first arrived.

And as the star continues to get acclimated in the City of Angels, the Lakers have shown just how highly they view Doncic. During pregame warmups, Doncic was one of only two Lakers players on the court as Los Angeles looked to even its first-round playoff series against the Timberwolves.

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As soon as Doncic emerged from the tunnel to jog onto the court, the fans in attendance gave the 26-year-old a rousing ovation, showering the star with love as he got his shots up to prepare for the game. Additionally, the Lakers played a bevy of Slovenian songs to make the star feel more at home, as Doncic often listens to those kinds of songs as he gets into a proper headspace.

And it was clear that hearing the fans’ adoration and the music he was accustomed to listening to before games worked wonders. Following his 37-point outing in Game 1, which saw him hit 12-of-22 attempts from the field, Doncic started Game 2 impressively, taking it upon himself to help the Lakers get off on the right note.

Whenever Doncic had the ball, the fans roared with excitement, waiting to see what the star had in his bag of tricks to get the ball in the basket. One notable example of how Doncic had the fans entranced with his play happened in the second quarter.

Luka Doncic fed off the crowd’s energy in Game 2 of the Los Angeles Lakers’ series with the Minnesota Timberwolves(Image: Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

With the ball on top of the key and Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert defending him with roughly seven minutes remaining in the quarter, Doncic unleashed a bevy of moves that had the French star stumbling. Despite Gobert sticking with Doncic throughout the sequence, the Slovenian star already was at the basket and calmly sank the shot over Gobert.

Doncic finished the first half scoring 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, showing where his headspace was at after hearing the crowd’s cheers pregame. He also received MVP chants whenever he was at the line, as the crowd continued to show their support.

After being torched for 22 points in the first half, the Timberwolves quickly adjusted in the second half, limiting Doncic’s touches and how they defended him. Although his scoring left much to be desired in the second half, he was effective in other facets of the game, finding his teammates and giving an extra effort on the glass.

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Though the Timberwolves were able to cut the lead to nine, 86-77, with about seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Lakers had too much firepower for Minnesota to contend with.

In the end, Doncic finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists in 42 minutes of play. Meanwhile, Julius Randle led the way for the Timberwolves with 27 points, six assists and four rebounds.

As the Lakers look to continue their winning ways in Minnesota, Los Angeles knows that Doncic playing at a level above others is what is needed for the team to be successful. And through the first two games of Los Angeles’ playoff matchup with Minnesota, it is clear that Doncic will continue to show out, with Game 3 set for April 25.