Luka Doncic is playing on another level this season, averaging over 45 points per game! Against the Grizzlies, the Slovenian star exploded for 44 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Purple and Gold to a 117-112 win after a three-game absence. His comeback, though, looked easy, but it wasn’t. Doubts about his injury and recovery lingered until the eleventh hour since he was initially set to be re-evaluated after a week. So, what changed?

The five-time All-NBA guard felt significantly better than expected, leading doctors to clear him for Friday’s matchup against Memphis. After his stellar performance, Doncic confirmed the turnaround himself, saying, “Yeah. At the beginning, we probably didn’t think I’m going to play on Friday.” He added that even the Lakers’ medical staff initially doubted his availability.

“After getting everyday treatment, everyday working, I felt way better. So we decided we’ll flow out here, we’ll see how I feel, and then if I’m good to go, I’ll play,” the Lakers No. 77 further elaborated. Well, the ‘how I feel’ part was quite evident from the point guard’s historic 44-point performance. So far this season, Luka has already missed a fair number of games due to a couple of finger and leg-related issues.

Although this alone would’ve been a massive blow for the Purple & Gold, what made things worse was the timing of these injuries. The franchise is already missing LeBron James due to a sciatica injury. So, the Slovenian’s fitness struggles only made things worse for the team early in the season. However, his post-game statement has indicated that he might just be past these early scares as he now looks to build on this momentum in the coming games.

There’s no doubt the Lakers need Luka and Austin Reaves to step up more than ever in the absence of LeBron. Even though Doncic has missed a few games, whenever he’s been on the floor, he’s looked unstoppable. In just 3 games he’s played this season, Luka Doncic is averaging a staggering 45.3 points along with 11.7 boards and 7.7 assists, whereas Reaves is averaging 32 points, more than double his career average of less than 15.

Although his stat line alone is quite impressive enough, what he achieved last night just takes his incredible start further up a notch.

Luka Doncic’s incredible NBA Cup night puts him next to a league legend

On Friday, Luka Doncic not only put an end to all the question marks around him through his performance, but he also etched his name yet again in NBA history. The 26-year-old’s heroics against the Grizzlies were his third straight 40-point game. This 44-point night came after the Slovenian dropped 43 points on the opening night against the Warriors, followed by an equally stunning 49 points against the Timberwolves. These incredible performances have ignited a comparison with Michael Jordan.

These games made the point guard the only player in NBA history, other than Wilt Chamberlain, to score 40 or more points in three straight games to start the season. As expected after knowing this insane fact post-game, Doncic was over the moon as his incredible reaction said it all.

“I mean, I feel great,” Doncic expressed when asked about being in such rare company. “But obviously, if we get a win, I feel even better. So that’s the whole point, trying to help the team to win. And sometimes it’s going to be scoring, sometimes other things.”

Doncic reminded that despite him making a record individually, it was the win that mattered to him the most. Well, that’s the sign of a great team player, if we’ve ever seen one. Nonetheless, it was an important win for the Los Angeles Lakers, as they needed to begin their NBA Cup campaign with a win. Now, Luka Doncic and the rest of the Lakers roster will shift their focus toward the regular season, where they will be facing the Miami Heat next, as they hope to improve their solid 4-2 start to the 2025-26 season.