Nobody expected a piece of Los Angeles Lakers history to be rewritten as quickly as we witnessed tonight, let alone by someone who hasn’t even played a full season in the Purple and Gold. Yet, Luka Doncic met a milestone reserved for Lakers legends, touching the record as one of the franchise’s newest stars.

Tonight, Doncic tied Magic Johnson for the 10th-most regular-season 40-point games in Lakers history, and, more impressively, he did it in 1053 fewer career games as a Laker than Johnson. 38 regular-season appearances as a Laker. 43, when you include last season’s playoffs. That’s it. A stat so stark it feels like the Slovenian sensation has bent time, and a reminder that today’s modern-day legends hold the ability to break decades-long records in mere months.

Magic’s six forty-point outings took 906 games, but it should be noted that Johnson still sits ahead of Doncic in 40-point games if both regular-season and playoffs are counted, with Johnson adding on four more such games, including a 42-point, 15-rebound game in the 1980 Finals in his rookie year. It was Game 6, and the LA side won the NBA Championship. Luka, who has only played five games in the postseason as a Laker, is yet to record a 40-point playoff matchup.

In fact, speaking of 40-point games, Doncic became the first player in NBA history to open a season with back-to-back games of 40+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists.

Doncic is a generational passing talent, and is often compared to Johnson as a playmaker. In fact, one of Lakers legend’s most prolific teammates has commented on it. Back in September, before the season started, James Worthy, spoke about their similarities, saying, “Well, the one thing that Magic and Luka have in common is that they can take a snapshot. Both of them are really good rebounders. They get that rebound, and they take a quick shot of the whole floor going down, and then their ability to calculate their steps and know where you’re gonna be.”

Even last postseason, despite reportedly being out of shape, Doncic averaged 28.2 points and nearly 8 assists, while leading all playoff players in minutes per game. In April, Doncic became the first Laker since the legendary Kobe Bryant to log back-to-back games with at least 35 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five threes, something that Kobe accomplished in 2006.

But it’s not all about Luka’s scoring. LA‘s offense, though revolving around him, benefits heavily from him, and with the team chemistry surging after tonight’s win in Milwaukee, their offensive ceiling is as high as any other team in the league right now.

Luka Doncic Takes Over in Routing of Giannis Antetokounmpo And the Milwaukee Bucks

The Los Angeles Lakers closed their road trip with flair tonight, making sure that everyone remembered why he’s the engine for the LA offense. From the opening tip, he was unstoppable: three consecutive three-pointers and a personal 10-point burst to lead a 16-2 run. Being on the second night of a back-to-back didn’t slow him down, instead seeming to fuel him into one of the most dominant nights of the season against the Milwaukee Bucks.

By halftime, Doncic had his imprints on the whole game. Whether it was a flurry of mid-range fadeaways, a barrage of step-back threes, or a flurry of dimes to Deandre Ayton or Austin Reaves turned what looked like a competitive matchup into a blowout. The first half was capped off by a 23-2 run led by Doncic, ballooning the lead to 63-34 at the break.

Even when he took a breather in the second half, the foundation Luka had built stood any run from the Bucks. Even with Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 32 points, Doncic’s 41-point, record-breaking outing, ensured a second consecutive win for LA.

Next up, Doncic and the Lakers will face the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, before taking a small break.