Doncic Leads Lakers to 8-2 Start With Record-Breaking Scoring Streak
The Slovenian star has averaged 40.1 points per game in the first nine matches, tying the all-time mark for the longest 35-point run.
By Lauren Foster ·
Luka Doncic scored 53 points as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118 on Friday night.
The victory places the Lakers at the top of the Western Conference standings with an 8-2 record. Doncic finished the game with five rebounds and five assists. He outscored Portland by 20-15 during the third quarter and hit a three-point buzzer-beater from the arc to end the first half.
Doncic has scored at least 35 points in seven consecutive games. This run ties Oscar Robertson for the longest such streak in NBA history. He is also the third Lakers player to achieve this feat, joining Kobe Bryant and Elgin Baylor.
His scoring output has set multiple franchise records. Doncic has recorded four straight games with at least 40 points, a mark shared only by Bryant, Elgin Baylor, and George Mikan. He has also made at least five three-pointers in seven straight contests. Extending that streak by five more games would break James Harden's NBA record of 12 straight.
The volume of his shooting is approaching historical highs. Doncic is attempting 13.7 three-pointers per game. If that pace continues, he would surpass Harden's 2018-19 record of 13.2 attempts per game. He is currently averaging 40.1 points per game. The only other player to average 40 points through the first nine games of a season is Wilt Chamberlain.
His three-point shooting efficiency has been a major factor. Doncic is shooting 41.9% from beyond the arc this season. According to NBA.com shot tracking, he entered Friday's game making step-back threes at a 43% clip. His current pace of six made three-pointers per game would put him on track to break Stephen Curry's single-season record of 402 made threes if he plays 90% of the Lakers' games.
Defensive metrics suggest Doncic has not been a liability for the Lakers this season. The team's defensive rating stands at 110.2 when he is on the court. Opponents shoot just 32.3% against him, the best mark in the league among players defending at least 12 shots per game. He has recorded 15 steals and is tied for the league lead in charges with four.
The impact of his presence on the floor is stark. The Lakers' offensive rating is 130.9 when Doncic is playing, a pace that would set an NBA record. When he is on the bench, that rating drops to 99.1. The team has won by a total of 140 points during his on-court minutes and lost by 63 points during his off-court minutes. This difference creates a 203-point swing in the team's performance.
Doncic has played in nine of the Lakers' first 10 games. His current pace projects 16 games with 50 points this season. That would shatter the non-Chamberlain single-season record of 10 held by Kobe Bryant. Chamberlain recorded 45 such games in the 1961-62 season.
