Luka Doncic stays hot, scores 53 to lead Lakers past Blazers - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — Though Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and James Harden came somewhat close, no NBA player has averaged at least 40 points in a season since Wilt Chamberlain in 1962-63.

Believe it or not, Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is on pace through his first nine games to reach that historic benchmark thanks to his latest 50-point explosion.

Doncic poured in a season-high 53 points to lead the Lakers to a 124-118 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena on Friday. The Slovenian star is averaging a career-high 40.1 points per game and is captaining the NBA's No. 1 offense.

«Luka can do some things that maybe a handful, if not no one, can do in basketball,» Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

Chamberlain is the only player to score more than Doncic's 361 points through his first nine games in a season. The Hall of Fame center had 472 points through nine games in 1962-63 and 455 points in the 1961-62 season, according to ESPN Research.

Of course, Chamberlain went on to average a record 50.4 points per game in 1961-62 and 44.8 points per game in 1962-63. Jordan's 37.1 points per game in 1986-87 is the NBA's highest mark during the 3-point era. Harden's 36.1 points per game in 2018-19 was the most prolific scoring season of the 21st century. And Bryant's 35.4 points were the most by a Lakers player since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976.

Can Doncic, whose previous career-high is 33.9 points per game with the 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks, join Chamberlain in the 40-point club?

«It's obviously a long season,» Doncic said. «We're 10 games in. We've got 72 left. As long as we're winning, I'm good. I got [the shots] up today, I'm not going to lie. Hopefully it continues, but you never know.»

Doncic, 27, is taking full