Lakers fans have seen Luka Doncic take over games plenty of times since he arrived in Los Angeles. He’s the reigning scoring champion, after all. But even by his standards, this start is different, and it’s pulling up names from another era.
The Toronto Raptors found that out the hard way on Sunday. Doncic dropped 45 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and racked up five steals in a 131-125 win. The Crypto.com Arena crowd chanted “MVP” every time he stepped to the free-throw line.
ESPN Insights put the run in perspective on X after the game, placing his start next to one of the greatest scorers ever. Luka has the most PPG by a Lakers player through 6 games, passing himself from last season,” ESPN Insights wrote. The Toronto game was special on its own.
Doncic hit 12 of 23 shots, made eight threes and went a perfect 13-for-13 at the line in 35 minutes. It was his 20th 40-point game as a Laker. It also came at the right time.
Two nights earlier, the Lakers blew a 25-point lead and lost to the Golden State Warriors. This time they led by as many as 26 before Toronto made it close late. Doncic has now scored at least 37 points in four straight games, including a 52-point night against Utah.
He’s also averaging 8.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists while shooting 43.2% from three. He’s had to carry that load. With LeBron James gone after eight seasons, this is fully Luka’s team now, and the Lakers are 5-2 heading into Monday’s home game against the Miami Heat.
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