Luka Doncic continued his extraordinary scoring run on Friday, dropping 53 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118.
His performance prompted a remarkable assessment from Udonis Haslem, who struggled to recall seeing a player capable of overcoming multiple defenders so consistently.
“We’ve seen a lot of basketball, guys. I don’t know if we’ve seen nothing like this,” Haslem said. “I have not seen a guy who can’t be stopped with two guys, or three guys… he’s a savage, man.”
Doncic delivered another dominant performance despite Portland throwing different defensive looks at him. The Slovenian went 17-for-33 from the field, made five three-pointers and converted 14 of his 18 free throws.
The 53-point outing marked his 11th career game with at least 50 points and his fourth in a Lakers uniform. He also scored 20 points in the third quarter, helping Los Angeles erase Portland’s advantage and build a lead of its own.
Doncic has averaged 40.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists through nine appearances in the 2026-27 season. He is shooting 49.8% from the field and 41.9% from three-point range.
His latest performance extended a remarkable seven-game stretch in which he has scored at least 35 points in every appearance. He has also recorded at least five rebounds, five assists and five three-pointers in each of those games.
Doncic has reached 40 points six times during that stretch, including four consecutive games. His scoring run has helped the Lakers win four straight and improve to 8-2.
Against Portland, Doncic also delivered when the game was on the line. After the Trail Blazers cut a late 12-point deficit to four, he hit a key jumper with 28 seconds remaining before combining with Austin Reaves to close out the victory.
Reaves finished with 25 points, while Walker Kessler contributed 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Lakers will visit the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
