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

Luka Doncic's Historic Scoring Feat

Luka Doncic became only the second player in NBA history to score over 40 points in his first three games of a season. In his return to action on Friday, the Lakers guard scored 44 points in a win over Memphis. This achievement places him alongside Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to start a season with three consecutive 40-point games.

“I mean, I feel great,” Doncic said when told about 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.”

Overcoming Injury and High Performance

Doncic had missed the previous three games due to a sprained finger on his left hand and a lower left leg contusion. Despite this, he averaged 45.3 points in his first three games, becoming the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to average 45 or more points in any three-game span.

Outlook on Maintaining Scoring Pace

However, Doncic acknowledged it will be challenging to sustain this high scoring average over an entire 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.”

Lakers Team Dynamics

The decision to let LeBron James go appears to be easier for the Lakers as they have proven capable of winning without him and are seen as a stronger team now.

Summary: Luka Doncic’s explosive scoring marks a rare NBA milestone, demonstrating Lakers’ evolving strength without LeBron James, though sustaining this pace remains uncertain.

Hoops Rumors — 2025-11-02