Luka Doncic erupted for 53 points, sparked by a buzzer-beating shot from beyond midcourt, to propel the Los Angeles Lakers to a 124-118 comeback victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The victory moved Los Angeles to 8-2 on the season and leveled its NBA Cup group play record at 1-1. Portland arrived in Los Angeles holding the top seed in the Western Conference standings, according to Fadeaway World, but could not withstand Doncic’s second 50-point showcase of the young season.
Buzzer-beater sparks decisive turnaround
Portland built a 16-point advantage in the first half as the Lakers struggled badly from the perimeter, missing their first 15 attempts from 3-point range. But with time running down in the second quarter, center Walker Kessler hauled in a rebound and passed to Doncic. Confronted by Portland’s defense in the backcourt, Doncic launched an off-balance running heave. The ball banked off the backboard and into the net as time expired, cutting Portland’s lead to 60-53. News accounts differed slightly on the measurement, with the Associated Press and California Post reporting the distance as 61 feet while the Los Angeles Times recorded it at 62 feet.
“I think it changes the whole energy in the team and in the gym,” Doncic said, according to the Associated Press. “I thought it was an important shot to make — so that’s why I decided to make it.”
The shot transformed the contest. Los Angeles charged into the second half and overwhelmed Portland 34-15 in the third quarter. Doncic accounted for 20 points in the period by himself, outscoring the entire Trail Blazers roster during that 12-minute stretch.
Climbing the NBA record books
Doncic finished shooting 17 of 33 from the field, 5 of 15 from distance, and 14 of 18 from the free-throw line over 38 minutes of action, adding five rebounds and five assists. The showing lifted his season scoring average to 40.1 points per game across the opening 10 contests.
The performance marked the 11th regular-season game of Doncic’s career with at least 50 points. That total pushed him past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and tied him with Allen Iverson for the 10th-most 50-point outings in NBA history, the Los Angeles Times reported. It was also his fourth 50-point game since joining the Lakers, tying George Mikan for fourth in franchise history and moving past LeBron James.
Austin Reaves supplied secondary scoring with 25 points and four steals despite an 8-for-22 shooting night. Kessler registered a double-double, contributing 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting alongside 12 rebounds.
Defense and paint presence seal the win
Portland stayed competitive behind perimeter shooting, hitting 19 of 43 attempts from deep. However, Los Angeles countered with aggressive defense, forcing 24 turnovers and converting those mistakes into 28 points, Fadeaway World reported. The Lakers finished with 15 steals and scored 52 points in the paint.
After Portland cut a 16-point deficit down to four points in the final minute, Doncic secured the outcome with a seven-foot floater with 27.7 seconds left.
Lakers coach JJ Redick confirmed prior to the game that Bronny James and Cameron Carr were assigned to the Coachella Valley Lakers to gain playing time. Redick said both players are scheduled to rejoin the team next week for a four-game road trip with stops in Detroit, Atlanta, Milwaukee and Phoenix.
