Luka Doncic Pours in 53 Points to Lead Lakers Over Trail Blazers

Luka Doncic scored a season-high 53 points in a 124-118 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, pushing his season average to 40.1 points per game.

Luka Doncic scored a season-high 53 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 124-118 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena on Friday. The 27-year-old Slovenian star hit a 62-foot heave at the halftime buzzer to spark a comeback win, marking his sixth game with at least 40 points this season. The performance raised Doncic's season scoring average to 40.1 points per game through his first nine appearances.

Doncic has now recorded 361 total points this season, the highest mark through nine games by any NBA player since Wilt Chamberlain in the early 1960s. By reaching the 50-point threshold for the second time this year, Doncic moved into a tie for 10th place all-time with 11 career 50-point games. He also joined Elgin Baylor, George Mikan, and Kobe Bryant as the only players in Lakers history to score 40 or more points in four consecutive matchups.

Following the offseason departure of LeBron James to the Philadelphia 76ers, Doncic currently leads the NBA in scoring, shot attempts, usage rate, and player efficiency rating. The Lakers currently own the league's top-ranked offense under head coach JJ Redick. Prior to the game, Trail Blazers coach Micah Nori described Doncic as the frontrunner for the MVP award.