Doncic Drops Third Straight 40 as Lakers Down Kings 116-103

Luka Doncic continued the hottest scoring start of his career on Wednesday night, pouring in 40 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings 116-103 at Golden 1 Center. It was Doncic's third straight 40-point game and his fifth of the season, and it lifted the Lakers to 7-2 and a third consecutive victory. Doncic shot 11 of 23 from the field, including six of 13 from three-point range, and made 12 of 13 free throws, adding nine rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block. His 308 points through his first eight games are the most by any player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1962-63, and he moved past Michael Jordan's 303 from the 1988-89 season. He also became the first player in NBA history to record six straight games with at least 35 points, five rebounds, five assists and five three-pointers. Sacramento, which fell to 1-7 and remains winless at home, scored 13 of the game's first 18 points before Los Angeles levelled the game at 28-28 by the end of the first quarter. The Lakers took control with a 33-26 second quarter and a 26-20 third, and a late run built around Doncic and Walker Kessler at the free-throw line put the result beyond reach. Austin Reaves added 21 points for Los Angeles, while the Kings, who had beaten Dallas on Monday for their only win of the season, could not find an answer for the league's scoring leader, who now averages 38.5 points per game.