Copyright Newsweek
The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their NBA Cup schedule on Friday night with a road matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies while also welcoming back superstar Luka Doncic, who had missed the previous three games with a left leg contusion and a sprained finger. Although much of the early-season attention has been on Austin Reaves — and rightfully so — Doncic recorded 40-plus point performances in each of the first two games he played this season, and he continued that trend against Memphis. He led the Lakers to a 117-112 victory, improving the team’s record to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in NBA Cup play. In 38 minutes of action, Doncic tallied 44 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists while shooting 14-for-27 from the field and making NBA history in the process. According to Lakers beat reporter Mike Trudell, Doncic became just the second player in NBA history to start a season with three consecutive 40-point games, joining the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, who accomplished the feat in 1961-62 (first five games) and 1962-63 (first seven games). More NBA: Lakers Deliver Big News on Timeline for $10 Billion Team Sale More NBA: Michael Jordan Makes His Thoughts Clear on NBA’s Load-Management Crisis Doncic is in his second season with the Lakers, but he was at the center of one of the most shocking trades in sports history when the Dallas Mavericks moved him in the middle of a season prior to the NBA trade deadline. At the time, less than a year removed from leading Dallas to the NBA Finals, Doncic was traded to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and draft compensation. While the Mavericks now have Cooper Flagg, whom they landed with the No. 1 overall pick — a pick they likely wouldn’t have had without trading Doncic — the move still baffles many. Doncic remains unquestionably one of the best players in the league, with plenty of prime years ahead. Through his first three games with the Lakers this season, he’s off to the best start of his NBA career, and L.A. sits above .500 even without LeBron James on the floor.
