Luka Doncic scores 53 points to power Lakers past Trail Blazers 124-118
Powered by 53 points from Luka Doncic, who also converted a crucial jumper in the lane with 28 seconds remaining, the Los Angeles Lakers secured a 124-118 triumph against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
Doncic notched his 11th career 50-point performance—and his fourth with Los Angeles—while helping the Lakers secure their fourth consecutive victory. A comfortable 12-point advantage late in the contest had shrunk to just four before Austin Reaves and Doncic teamed up to score 10 points in the dying moments.
Reaves finished with 25 points, and Walker Kessler added 16 points and 12 rebounds. With the win, the Lakers avenged a 136-129 home loss to Portland on Oct. 27 with this NBA Cup victory.
Third-quarter surge erases early deficit
The Lakers initially struggled on their yellow tournament court, missing their first 15 three-point attempts into the second quarter. That cold streak helped Portland build a 16-point lead in the first half.
Los Angeles erased that deficit during the third quarter by mounting a 17-point consecutive scoring run, part of a broader 32-11 surge that carried the hosts to a 16-point advantage early in the fourth. Doncic alone outscored the Blazers 20-15 in the third frame, scoring 20 of his points in that quarter alone to reach the 40-point threshold for the sixth time in a seven-game stretch.
LAKERS 124, TRAIL BLAZERS 118 DONCIC SCORES 53 TO LIFT LAKERS PAST TRAIL BLAZERS 124-118 Luka Doncic scored 53 points and Austin Reaves added 25 Friday night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118 after turning a seven-point halftime deficit into…
Deni Avdija recorded 22 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds for Portland, while Damian Lillard also scored 22 points. The Trail Blazers fought back from their second-half deficit, repeatedly cutting the gap to four points down the stretch, but failed to draw any closer as the visitors fell for just the second time this season in the finale of a four-game road trip.
Doncic joins franchise legends with historic scoring streak
Doncic added five assists and five rebounds, marking his seventh consecutive game with at least 35 points, five assists, five rebounds, and five three-pointers. He also banked in a 61-footer from the opposite free throw circle at the halftime buzzer after missing his first five attempts from beyond the arc.
By reaching 40 points for the fourth straight regular-season game, Doncic joined Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, and George Mikan as the only Lakers to do so. He also passed Mikan for the fifth-most 40-point games in Lakers history, reaching the milestone in just his 101st regular-season game with Los Angeles.
The Trail Blazers return home to host San Antonio on Saturday. The Lakers travel to face Detroit on Sunday.
RECAP: Luka Doncic dropped another 53 points to lead the Lakers to an impressive comeback win over the Trail Blazers.https://t.co/fdIOpjPk3X
