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Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic dropped 49 points in 35 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night to secure the first win of the season for his team. Former Doncic teammate and Basketball Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki made a bold prediction halfway through Doncic’s scoring outburst on Amazon Prime Video’s inaugural NBA broadcast. More news: Warriors’ Third-Year Guard Wants to be Better Than Stephen Curry Doncic was up to 32 points at the half, a figure that would eventually outscore all Timberwolves players’ total through four quarters, when Nowitzki made his assertion. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 24: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during play against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on October 24, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) “He’s been looking incredible the first two games,” Nowitzki said. “I’m gonna call it now: He’s gonna be the top scorer of the league this year. He’s gonna lead the league in scoring. What are you gonna do about it?” "He's going to be the top scorer of the league" 🔝Dirk Nowitzki has big aspirations for Luka Dončić this season 🤝#NBAonPrime pic.twitter.com/F9lKEAhOtu— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) October 25, 2025 More news: Warriors Blockbuster 3-Team Trade Idea Sends Jonathan Kuminga to Bulls Doncic’s 92 points during the first two games of the season are special for so many reasons, but it is also the most to kick off a season in the Lakers’ entire franchise history. The historical implications continue to set Doncic apart from a majority of the league, and doing so against the team that knocked him out of the playoffs last season certainly adds an extra layer, but Doncic spoke after the game about keeping the past in the past. “I just want to forget about last season,” Doncic said. “I was trying to move on. I don’t really think about that first-round series.” Doncic last led the league in scoring during the 2023-24 campaign (his last full season in Dallas) with 33.9 points per game and a season that ended in the NBA Finals. Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks laid waste to the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals that year, but his Lakers were at the receiving end of a five-game, first-round beatdown the next spring. Perhaps his former teammate saw all he needed to believe Doncic can do it again, but especially while LeBron James continues to stay on the sidelines, the purple and gold will welcome all the scoring they can get. More news: Pelicans Cut Ties With Former NBA Champion Guard After One Game For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
