Lakers Notes: Doncic, Smart, Ayton, Reaves, NBA Cup
Luka Doncic became only the second player in NBA history to score over 40 points in each of his first three games of a season. In his return on Friday, the Lakers guard scored 44 points in a win over Memphis, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to begin a season with three straight 40-point games.
“I mean, I feel great,” Doncic said 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 three games due to a sprained finger and a contusion on his left leg. Averaging 45.3 points over these games, he is the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to average 45 or more points in any three-game stretch. However, he does not expect to keep scoring 40 points per game throughout the season.
“That’s going to be tough,” Doncic noted. “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 are increasingly confident in winning without LeBron James, feeling the team is stronger without him.
Author’s summary: Luka Doncic’s historic scoring start highlights his major impact as the Lakers emerge stronger and more confident without LeBron James on the court.