A 53-point performance helps secure the win
Luka Doncic scored 53 points with five rebounds and five assists in the November 6 NBA Cup game as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124–118. NBA.com's following-day recap said the Lakers pulled away in the third quarter and resisted several Portland comeback attempts. His official player page lists 38 minutes, 17-for-33 shooting, 5-for-15 from three and 14-for-18 at the line, plus one steal.
The Lakers improved to 8–2, their first such start since the championship-winning 2019–20 season. They were 5–1 in games in which Doncic scored at least 40 this season, connecting his scoring output with concrete team results.
Four consecutive 40-point games
Doncic reached 40 for the fourth consecutive game. NBA.com lists him as the fourth Laker to achieve that, joining George Mikan, Elgin Baylor and Kobe Bryant.
Across the league, Donovan Mitchell in 2023 was the previous player to score 40 in four straight games. Doncic's 53 also ranks second in an NBA Cup game, behind De'Aaron Fox's 60 in 2024. That ranking is specific to the Cup.
The streak began with 45 against Toronto, followed by 42 against Miami, 40 against Sacramento and 53 against Portland. The Lakers won all four. Doncic also had 15 rebounds against the Raptors and 13 assists against the Heat.
Nine player appearances, ten team games
NBA.com reported a 40.1-point average through Doncic's first nine appearances. Wilt Chamberlain was the only other player to average 40 through that stage of a season, doing so in the corresponding starts in 1961 and 1962.
The Lakers had played ten games while Doncic had appeared in nine. He had already passed 300 points after his first eight appearances, which NBA.com described as the first corresponding start since Michael Jordan in 1988–89. The subsequent 53-point game raised his average further.
Back issue leaves Sunday uncertain
The Lakers next face Detroit on Sunday in the United States, but the latest update on Doncic's NBA player page lists him as questionable with a back issue. Whether he can extend the streak in that game first depends on his availability.
During the four-game run, Los Angeles beat Toronto 131–125, Miami 138–117, Sacramento 116–103 and Portland 124–118. Doncic's individual milestones have coincided with team wins, but his back condition is now a practical concern ahead of the next game.
