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

Lakers Notes: Luka Doncic's Historic Start

Luka Doncic became the second player in NBA history to score over 40 points in each of his first three games of a season, matching a feat previously achieved only by Wilt Chamberlain.

Doncic’s Return and Performance

In his comeback game on Friday, Doncic scored 44 points to lead the Lakers to a victory over Memphis. He had missed the prior three games due to a sprained finger on his left hand and a contusion on his lower left leg.

“I mean, I feel great,” Doncic said on joining Chamberlain in this exclusive 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.”

Statistical Milestones

By averaging 45.3 points over these three games, Doncic became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to maintain such a scoring average in any three-game stretch.

Despite this strong start, Doncic acknowledged the challenge of maintaining this scoring pace throughout the entire season.

“That’s going to be tough,” he admitted. “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 Outlook

The decision to move on from LeBron James is becoming clearer, as the Lakers appear capable of winning and playing better without him.

Summary

Luka Doncic's explosive scoring start sets an NBA mark, while the Lakers embrace a new team dynamic sans LeBron, signaling a shift in their future strategy.

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