Lakers Notes: Doncic, Smart, Ayton, Reaves, NBA Cup

Lakers Notes: Doncic, Smart, Ayton, Reaves, NBA Cup

Luka Doncic made history by becoming only the second player in NBA history to record more than 40 points in each of his first three games of a season. Returning from a hand sprain and a leg contusion, the Lakers star delivered a remarkable performance with 44 points in a victory over Memphis, matching a feat previously reached only by Wilt Chamberlain.

"I mean, I feel great," Doncic said when told about joining Chamberlain in that category, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. "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 across his first three games, Doncic became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to maintain such an average during any three-game stretch. Despite this explosive start, he admitted keeping that pace would be difficult.

"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."

As Doncic continues to thrive, internal discussions within the Lakers organization about moving on from LeBron James reportedly seem less complicated, given the team’s strong performances without him.

Author’s Summary:

Doncic’s record-setting scoring surge places him alongside Chamberlain and Bryant in NBA history, reinforcing the Lakers’ confidence in their roster’s strength beyond LeBron James.

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