Luka Doncic scored 42 points on Monday as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat 138-117, extending a scoring run that has seen him rack up his fourth 40-plus-point game in his past five outings. The performance lifted his league-leading scoring average to 38.8 points per game.
The output also drew high praise from Miami star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging the fourth-most points this season but still nearly 10 fewer than Doncic (28.4). The Lakers improved to 6-2 with the win over the struggling Heat, who fell to 2-5.
“Obviously, he’s one of the best scorers to play this game, if not the best,” Antetokounmpo said.
A reporter interrupted to ask for more context on the two-time MVP’s claim.
“Not right now,” Antetokounmpo replied. “Not right now. Of all time. I feel like some people are scared to say that, but he’s got to be up there.”
Coming from a player with nearly 22,000 career points who sits No. 41 on the all-time scoring list, just a spot behind Larry Bird, that endorsement carries weight.
The numbers behind the claim
Several statistics back up Doncic’s case. His career scoring average of 29.32 points sits right behind only Michael Jordan (30.12) and Wilt Chamberlain (30.07).
Monday’s win also marked Doncic’s fifth straight game with 20-plus first-half points, the first time a Lakers player has done so since Kobe Bryant in 2007. The 27-year-old is on pace to win his second straight scoring title and the third of his career. His career playoff scoring average of 30.9 points is even better than his regular-season mark.
Over his past five games, Doncic has averaged 43.4 points while shooting 53.2% overall, 44.7% from three-point range and 89.1% from the free-throw line.
Teammates and coach react
Doncic also added 13 assists on Monday, handling Miami’s double teams with ease. He was blitzed on an on-ball screen in seven possessions against the Heat, and the Lakers scored on six of those trips.
Teammate Quentin Grimes described the streak in vivid terms.
“It just feels almost anything he shoots, whether it’s a circus shot or regular step-back 3, or it’s a tough floater, it just seems like everything he’s shooting is going to go in,” Grimes said. “… I don’t think I’ve ever been on the court when everything somebody shoots, you think it’s going in. So, kind of crazy little heater he’s on for sure.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick pointed to the team’s offensive output. The Lakers recorded 39 assists, their most since he took over as coach in 2024-25.
“It’s a really good offense that we’re playing right now,” Redick said. “And a lot of that, of course, is Doncic and what he’s able to do and bend the defence. And his shotmaking creates a lot of problems and then he can make every pass.”
Doncic focused less on his own play and more on the team’s position. Two weeks into the season, the Lakers have moved up to No. 4 in the Western Conference standings after going 2-0 in back-to-back games against Miami and the Toronto Raptors.
“Obviously when we win, it feels way better,” Doncic said. “But obviously, it feels good.”