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dave mcmenamin
Memphis, Tennessee – after austin reeves took away Los Angeles Lakers As their solo star all week long, luka doncic He returned Friday to pick up the baton with another 40-point performance in L.A.’s 117-112 win. memphis grizzlies,
Doncic, who had missed the past three games with a sprained finger on his left hand and a lower left foot that he thought would keep him out until at least Sunday, traveled to Memphis separately to join the team on Thursday and scored a game-high 44 points.
It was Doncic’s third consecutive 40-point game to start his season after scoring 43 on opening night against Golden State, followed by scoring 49 against Minnesota, becoming the only player in NBA history to do so. Wilt Chamberlain Topping the 40-point plateau in three straight games to start their season. (Chamberlain did this twice – seven straight games in 1962–63 and five straight games in 1961–62).
“I mean, I feel great,” Doncic said when asked about being in such rare company with a basketball legend. “But obviously, if we get a win, I feel even better. So that’s the whole point, trying to help the team win. And sometimes it’s scoring, sometimes it’s other things.”
He did other things too, leading L.A. with 12 rebounds and six assists as the Lakers came back from a 15-point deficit in the second half to win their first NBA Cup group play game, but it was the scoring that was most impressive – especially because of the other veterans he joined in the performance.
In 1986–87 only Chamberlain, Doncic, and Michael Jordan scored 125 points or more in their first three games to start the season; Doncic has 136.
And, by averaging 45.3 points in his first three games, Doncic became the first Lakers player to average 45 or more in any three-game span since Kobe Bryant in 2007.
Doncic was asked if he could become the only player other than Chamberlain to average 40 in a season.
“It’s going to be tough,” Doncic said. “Sometimes they’re going to double me. Sometimes I won’t score that much. I thought three or four shots were crazy shots that I felt like doing, but they were terrible shots. So… I have to work on that. But it’s hard. I don’t know.”
When Reeves was told it wasn’t crazy, saying after the Lakers’ home win over Minnesota that he thought 40 was within Doncic’s reach, Doncic smiled and said, “Austin’s an idiot.”
Reeves averaged 40 points on 50% shooting (41.4% from 3) with 10 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals in the three games Doncic missed. Lebron James (Sciatica) was also sidelined. After Friday’s win, he offered more praise for Doncic and more criticism of himself.
“Their ability to get us off to a hot start is big for us because, if you come out and they have 15 runs in the first we’re going to score, I would assume, 30. [points],” Reeves said of Doncic, who leads the league in first quarter scoring with an average of 13 points. “Unless everyone is shooting bricks like I was tonight.”
Reaves started the game 2 of 9 but finished as the Lakers’ second-leading scorer with 21 points.
Got a big contribution from LA also marcus smartJoe was in the starting lineup after a two-game absence due to a right quad injury and had 12 points, four assists and two steals; And Jake LaraviaWho had 13 points, five rebounds and three steals against his former team.
deandre ayton He had nine points on 4-for-6 shooting in the first half, but did not play after halftime due to what coach JJ Redick described as “middle back spasms.” Ayton spent the third quarter in the locker room trying to loosen himself up and said he would have returned to the game in the fourth quarter if called upon, but L.A. was able to survive without him.
Ayton said he hopes to be available when the Lakers host Miami Heat On Sunday.
This will be another chance for Doncic to score 40 and another chance for his teammates to show what they’re looking for from their guy.
“Brilliantness,” Smart said, is his word for what Doncic has been doing this season. “It’s been great to see.”
