NBA2 hours ago2 minute read

Luka Doncic Drops 42 Points as Giannis Praises All Time Scoring Ability

Luka Doncic scored 42 points to lead the Lakers past the Heat, earning high praise from Giannis Antetokounmpo as his scoring run continues.

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Luka Doncic Stays Red Hot in Lakers Win

Luka Doncic put together another massive scoring night on Monday, pouring in 42 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 138-117 victory over the Miami Heat. It was his fourth game with at least 40 points over his past five appearances.

The performance raised his league leading scoring average to 38.8 points per game. Over his last five games, he is averaging 43.4 points while shooting 53.2 percent overall, 44.7 percent from three point range, and 89.1 percent from the free throw line. He also added 13 assists against Miami, helping the Lakers record 39 total assists, which is their most since JJ Redick took over as head coach in the 2024-25 season.

High Praise From Giannis

Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo offered massive praise for the 27 year old star after the game. Antetokounmpo called Doncic one of the best scorers of all time, saying he feels some people are scared to say it, but that Doncic has to be up there. Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.4 points per game this season, which ranks fourth in the league.

Doncic now holds a career scoring average of 29.32 points per game, putting him right behind Michael Jordan at 30.12 and Wilt Chamberlain at 30.07. He has also scored 20 or more points in the first half of five straight games. He is the first Lakers player to accomplish that feat since Kobe Bryant did it in 2007.

Lakers Build Momentum

Teammate Quentin Grimes noted how impressive the stretch has been, saying it feels like almost anything Doncic shoots is going to go in. When Miami blitzed Doncic on on ball screens seven times, Los Angeles scored on six of those possessions. Redick noted that Doncic creates major problems for opposing defenses with both his shot making and his ability to make every pass.

With the victory, Los Angeles improved to 6-2 on the season and moved into the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. They swept their back to back set against Miami and the Toronto Raptors. Meanwhile, Miami fell to 2-5 overall.

What it means for the next game

Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics (NBA, Thu, 05 Nov): Boston Celtics win 87%, Milwaukee Bucks win 13%; projected score Boston Celtics 117, Milwaukee Bucks 103. Our safest pick: Celtics -5.5.

Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings (NBA, Thu, 05 Nov): Sacramento Kings win 27%, Los Angeles Lakers win 73%; projected score Sacramento Kings 111, Los Angeles Lakers 118. Our safest pick: Kings +15.5.