Lakers Notes: Doncic, Smart, Ayton, Reaves, NBA Cup
Luka Doncic became just the second player in NBA history to score over 40 points in his first three games of a season. Returning to action on Friday, the Lakers superstar guard reached a milestone only Wilt Chamberlain had previously achieved.
Doncic scored 44 points in a win over Memphis, marking him as the only player other than Chamberlain to begin a season with three straight 40+ point games. He had missed the prior three games due to a sprained finger on his left hand and a contusion on his lower left leg.
“I mean, I feel great,” Doncic said when informed of joining Chamberlain in that category, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “But obviously, if we get a win, I feel even better. So that’s the whole point, trying to help the team to win. And sometimes it’s going to be scoring, sometimes other things.”
By averaging 45.3 points per game in these three games, Doncic became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to average 45 or more points in any three-game stretch. He tempered expectations about maintaining this pace throughout the season.
“That’s going to be tough,” Doncic admitted. “Sometimes they’re going to double me more. Sometimes I won’t be able to score that much. I had I think three or four shots that were crazy shots that I felt like doing, but they were terrible shots. I don’t know.”
Meanwhile, the Lakers' decision to move on from LeBron James appears easier as the team is performing better without him.
Author's summary: Luka Doncic joined Wilt Chamberlain as one of the few NBA players to start a season with three 40+ point games, showcasing the Lakers' strong new direction without LeBron James.