Lakers Notes: Doncic, Smart, Ayton, Reaves, NBA Cup
Luka Doncic became 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 guard scored 44 points in a win over Memphis, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to start a season with three straight 40-point games.
“I mean, I feel great,” Doncic said when informed about joining Chamberlain in this 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.”
Doncic missed the previous three games due to a sprained finger on his left hand and a contusion on his lower left leg. By averaging 45.3 points in his first three games, he became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to average 45 or more points over any three-game span.
He tempered expectations about maintaining this pace throughout the season:
“That’s going to be tough,” Doncic said. “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.”
The Lakers appear to be moving confidently without LeBron James, with the decision to part ways becoming easier as the team shows it can win without him.
Author's summary: Luka Doncic’s historic scoring streak returns the Lakers to a formidable offense, while the team adapts to success without LeBron James.