Luka Doncic Scores 53 as Lakers Beat Blazers

Luka Doncic was trailing by double digits at the halftime buzzer when he stopped near the far free-throw circle and banked in a 61-foot heave. That shot flipped the night. Doncic finished with a season-high 53 points on 17-for-33 shooting, then hit a jumper in the lane with 28 seconds left to seal a 124-118 Los Angeles Lakers win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday at Crypto.com Arena, ESPN and NBA.com reported.

The stakes were bigger than one NBA Cup game. Portland came in leading the West and had beaten the Lakers in Portland last week. This win was the Lakers’ fourth straight, and NBA.com reported it moved Los Angeles into first place in the Western Conference.

The Heave and the Third Quarter

The Blazers owned the first half. Damian Lillard was pulling up from near the logo, Robert Williams III was finishing lobs, and Portland led 51-36 midway through the second quarter. The Lakers closed the half on a run, and the Doncic bank shot from the far circle sent them into the locker room within reach instead of buried.

Then the third quarter happened. Doncic scored 20 in the frame and the Lakers outscored Portland 34-15, turning a deficit into a double-digit lead. Portland threw Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Jrue Holiday at him in waves. None of it slowed the step-backs or the floater off the Walker Kessler screen.

Portland did not fold. A 10-0 Blazers run, capped by Lillard’s fourth 3-pointer, cut the lead to six midway through the fourth. The Lakers pushed it back to 12, Portland chipped it to four, and then Doncic and Austin Reaves closed it out. The jumper in the lane with 28 seconds left was the dagger.

Doncic Is Chasing Wilt Numbers

This was the 11th 50-point game of Doncic’s career and his fourth with the Lakers. It was also his fourth straight game with at least 40 points, which puts him with Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, and George Mikan as the only Lakers ever to do that. The number that matters most: he has 361 points through nine games, a 40.1 per-game average. Wilt Chamberlain is the only player who has scored more through nine games of a season, per ESPN Research.

Reaves added 25 points and Kessler had 16 points and 12 rebounds. For Portland, Avdija had 22 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists, and Lillard scored 22. The loss ended a three-game Blazers win streak and was only their second of the season.

Blazers coach Micah Nori called Doncic the MVP before tipoff. Doncic then went out and gave him a 53-point receipt.

What’s Next for the Lakers

Los Angeles heads to Detroit to face the Pistons on Sunday. The Lakers’ plan has been clear all season: keep the ball in Doncic’s hands. Entering Friday he led the league in scoring, shot attempts, 3-point attempts, and usage rate, according to ESPN, and nothing about this game suggests that changes on the road.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean higher on Luka Doncic points at Detroit. He has scored 40 or more in four straight and is averaging 40.1 through nine games as the league leader in usage. Reaves at 25 on Friday is the secondary lean if you want a second Laker on the slip.