Luka Dončić delivered a 53-point performance in a 124-118 Lakers victory over the Trail Blazers on Friday night, outscoring Portland 20-15 in the third quarter and hitting a three-quarter-court buzzer-beater to end the first half. The Lakers now sit atop the Western Conference at 8-2.
Historic Scoring Pace
If the season ended today, Dončić would be the runaway MVP, potentially joining Stephen Curry as the second unanimous winner in NBA history. Through nine games, he averages 40.1 points, 7.7 assists, 1.67 steals, and 5.78 made three-pointers per game. Dončić became the third Lakers player to score at least 35 points in seven straight games, joining Kobe Bryant and Elgin Baylor. He is the fourth Lakers player with four consecutive 40-point games, alongside Bryant, Baylor, and George Mikan. He has made at least five three-pointers in seven straight games, threatening James Harden's record of 12 straight. His current pace of six made threes per game would project to 426 for the season, surpassing Curry's single-season record of 402.
Three-Point Volume and 50-Point Games
Dončić also owns the non-Wilt Chamberlain NBA record with six 40-point games in his team's first 10 games. He has logged seven straight games with at least 35 points, five assists, and five rebounds, tying Oscar Robertson for the longest such streak. He is attempting 13.7 three-pointers per game, which would break Harden's record of 13.2 attempts per game (2018-19). With two 50-point games already, he is on pace for 16 such games, shattering Bryant's non-Chamberlain record of 10.
Defensive Impact
Shooting 41.9% from three, Dončić is hitting step-backs at a 43% clip per NBA.com tracking. Defensively, the Lakers' defensive rating with him on the floor is 110.2, a top-10 mark. He is tied for sixth in steals (15) and leads the league in charges drawn (4). Opponents shoot 32.3% with him as primary defender, best among players defending at least 12 shots per game. Inside the arc, opponents have made only 21.9% of two-point attempts against him, the lowest in the league among those defending at least 30 such attempts.
Offensive Dominance
Offensively, the Lakers' rating with Dončić on the floor is 130.9, which would be an NBA record; without him it drops to 99.1, the worst in the league. The Lakers have won his minutes by 140 points and lost his bench minutes by 63, a net swing of 203 points — a compelling MVP metric.
