Luka Doncic scored 53 points on Friday night as the Los Angeles Lakers fought back from 16 points down to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118 in an NBA Cup game at Crypto.com Arena.
The win was the Lakers’ fourth in a row and took them to 8-2 for the season. It also settled a score from last month, when Portland beat Los Angeles 136-129 at the same arena on October 27.
Portland looked in control early. The visitors built a 16-point lead in the second quarter while the Lakers missed their first 15 shots from three-point range. Doncic missed his first five threes too. Then, right on the halftime buzzer, he launched a shot from near his own free-throw line — a 62-foot heave — and it dropped. The Lakers went into the break only seven points behind, and the whole game changed.
Doncic scored 20 points in the third quarter alone, more than the whole Portland team managed in that period (15). Los Angeles put together a 17-point run without reply and a 32-11 burst that turned the game around. Early in the fourth quarter, the Lakers led by 16. Portland kept fighting and got within four points more than once, but never closer. With 27.7 seconds left, Doncic floated in a shot in the lane to move past 50 points and seal the win. Austin Reaves added 25 points, and Walker Kessler had 16 points and 12 rebounds. For Portland, Deni Avdija finished with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, while Damian Lillard also scored 22.
Fourth Straight 40-Point Game
The 53 points were a season high for Doncic and the 11th 50-point game of his career. It was his fourth in a Lakers shirt, moving him past LeBron James and level with George Mikan for the fourth-most 50-point games in the club’s history. It was also his fourth game in a row with at least 40 points. Only three other Lakers have ever done that in regular-season play: Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant and George Mikan. Doncic has now scored 40 or more in six of his nine games this season.
His run goes even further. He has scored at least 35 points, with five assists, five rebounds and five three-pointers, in seven games in a row.
Why Doncic Hot Streak Matters
The numbers put Doncic in rare company. He is averaging 40.1 points per game, and his 363 points through nine games are the most by any player at this stage of a season since Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. In simple terms, no one has started a season scoring like this in more than 60 years.
It also puts him at the front of the race for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award. The award goes to the league’s best player over the full season, and a start like this makes Doncic the early favourite.
Friday’s game was also part of the NBA Cup, the league’s in-season tournament. Cup games count in the normal standings too, but they also decide who reaches the knockout rounds in December. The win left the Lakers 1-1 in Cup group play, while Portland dropped to 0-1.
After the game Doncic said he was enjoying his basketball, telling reporters: “I’m having a lot of fun.”
What Comes Next for Lakers
Portland does not have long to wait for a chance to bounce back. The Trail Blazers host San Antonio on Saturday. The Lakers travel to Detroit on Sunday. Cup group games continue through November, with the knockout stage to follow in December.
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Doncic | 53 | 5 | 5 |
| Austin Reaves | 25 | — | — |
| Walker Kessler | 16 | 12 | — |
| Deni Avdija | 22 | 9 | 11 |
| Damian Lillard | 22 | — | — |
53, his highest total of the season, in a 124-118 Lakers win.
Four, joining Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant and George Mikan as the only Lakers to do it in regular-season games.
They visit Detroit on Sunday. Portland host San Antonio on Saturday.
