Luka Doncic scored 42 points Monday, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat 138-117. It was Doncic’s fourth 40-plus-point game in his past five outings, and it raised his league-leading scoring average to 38.8 points per game.
Miami star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging the fourth-most points this season but still nearly 10 fewer than Doncic (28.4), praised his performance heavily.
“Obviously, he’s one of the best scorers to play this game, if not the best,” Antetokounmpo said after the Lakers improved to 6-2 with the win over the struggling Heat (2-5).
A reporter interrupted Antetokounmpo’s answer, asking 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.”
Numbers Back Up the Praise
Coming from a player with nearly 22,000 career points who sits No. 41 on the all-time scoring list, just one spot behind Larry Bird, the comment carries weight. The statistics also support Doncic’s case.
His career scoring average of 29.32 points trails only Michael Jordan (30.12) and Wilt Chamberlain (30.07). The win over Miami was his fifth straight game with 20-plus first-half points, the first Lakers player to do so since Kobe Bryant in 2007.
The 27-year-old star is also on pace to earn 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.
A Hot Stretch
Over his past five games, Doncic has averaged 43.4 points while shooting 53.2% overall, 44.7% from 3-point range and 89.1% from the free throw line.
He added 13 assists Monday and handled Miami’s double teams with ease. Doncic was blitzed when using an on-ball screen in seven possessions against the Heat, and the Lakers scored on six of those plays.
“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,” Lakers guard Quentin 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 39 assists, the most they have had 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 defense. And his shotmaking creates a lot of problems and then he can make every pass.”
Team Momentum
Doncic had little to say about his own play. He focused instead on the Lakers moving up to No. 4 in the Western Conference standings two weeks into the season 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.”