Lakers Win 116-103 as Doncic Scores 40

Luka Doncic scored 40 points in a 116-103 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. The win marks the seventh for the Los Angeles Lakers in their last nine games. For fans, the result confirms that the team is competitive even in its first season without LeBron James.

Doncic made six three-pointers and 12 of 13 free throws. He also recorded nine rebounds and seven assists. Austin Reaves added 21 points. Walker Kessler contributed 15 points, eight rebounds, three steals, and four blocked shots. The Lakers shot 34 of 38 from the free-throw line, a success rate of 89%.

This is the fifth time Doncic has scored 40 points in the last six games. He has played in eight of the team's nine games this season. In those eight appearances, he has totaled 308 points. He is the first player to score more than 300 points in his first eight games of a season since Michael Jordan did so in 1988-89.

Wilt Chamberlain remains the only player to score more than Doncic in that span. Chamberlain achieved that feat three times. His high of 418 points came in his first eight games during the 1962-63 season.

A minor incident occurred late in the third quarter. A fan near the baseline threw a ball aggressively at official Chelisa Painter after a ball went out of bounds. Doncic pointed at the fan and appeared to speak to him. Security removed the spectator from the arena.

The Kings dropped their third straight home game. They are now 1-7 on the season. Their only win came Monday against Dallas. Rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. led Sacramento with 22 points and 12 assists. Zach LaVine scored 21 points. Domantas Sabonis had 16 points and 17 rebounds. The Kings shot 39% from the field.

Doncic is currently the leader in NBA scoring by a wide margin. He has won two of the past three scoring titles. His recent surge began with a 52-point performance at Utah. He followed that with 41 and 37 points in losses. He then recorded a 45-point, 15-rebound game against Toronto on Sunday. He scored 42 points and dished out 13 assists against Miami on Monday.

Over the last six games, Doncic averages 42.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. He has made 40 three-point shots. He is shooting 52% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc. Teammates note that he is also playing defense more consistently, including a five-steal game against Toronto.

The Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday at 7 p.m. in an NBA Cup group-play game.