The Los Angeles Lakers will try to extend their three-game winning streak and avenge an early-season loss when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, with Luka Doncic riding a historic scoring surge.
After opening the season with three straight victories, the Lakers dropped two of their next three games, including a 136-129 home loss to the Trail Blazers on Oct. 27.
Los Angeles has now reeled off another three-game winning streak, with Doncic scoring at least 40 points in each win. The most recent standout performance came Wednesday, when Doncic had 40 points in a 116-103 victory at Sacramento.
Doncic has averaged 42.3 points over the past three games and an NBA-best 38.5 on the season through eight games. He also leads the NBA in field goals made (11.6), 3-pointers made (5.9) and free throws made (9.4) per game.
According to the Lakers, Doncic and Wilt Chamberlain are the only two players since the 1960-61 season to have five 40-point performances over his first eight games in a season.
And it hasn’t just been in point production where Doncic has delivered. He also had nine rebounds and seven assists against the Kings and is the first player in NBA history with six consecutive games of at least 35 points, five rebounds, five assists and five 3-pointers.
The rest of the NBA has just five such games combined this season.
“I’ve had some good stretches in my career. Obviously, this could be one of the highest ones, but I still have some work to do,” Doncic told reporters. “I came out a little sloppy. My first quarter wasn’t good, so I just came back in the game, trying to be more aggressive, be more focused.”
The Trail Blazers are also on their second three-game winning streak of the season following a 132-119 road victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. The three most recent victories have come without Ja Morant (hamstring), who is out until late November.
Damian Lillard had a team-high 25 points and has averaged 20.1 per game since returning to Portland. Lillard made nine field goals on Wednesday, his most in a game since March 8, 2025, as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks after missing all of last season with an Achilles injury.
“We have a lot of good offensive and defensive players and I’m getting way too much credit. I really am,” Portland head coach Micah Nori said. “I’m not just saying that. I’m not trying to be overly humble. But I’m getting way too much credit for putting really good players in good positions and playing them to their strengths. That’s really all it is.”
While Donovan Clingan scored 24 points with 11 rebounds and Deni Avdija added 21 points with 12 assists, not all was positive for Portland. Vit Krejci added five points with three rebounds before leaving early with a left ankle injury that was later diagnosed as a fracture.
“It’s been tough but just as we have done with Ja and all that, these guys are resilient,” Nori said. “It’s just one more (injury). You face adversity but you just keep going.”
