LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic put on another scoring masterclass on Friday night, dropping 53 points and hitting a clutch jumper with 28 seconds remaining to secure a 124-118 victory for the Los Angeles Lakers over the Portland Trail Blazers in NBA Cup play.
Doncic sparked a late-game response after Los Angeles saw a 12-point fourth-quarter lead dwindle to four. Teaming up with Austin Reaves, the Slovenian superstar helped seal the Lakers’ fourth consecutive win. Reaves added 25 points, while Walker Kessler contributed 16 points and 12 rebounds to avenge an earlier 136-129 home loss to Portland on October 27.
Doncic caught fire in the third quarter alone, pouring in 20 points and outscoring the entire Portland team 20-15 during a decisive 17-0 run that erased an earlier 16-point deficit. His explosive night marked his 11th career 50-point game, his fourth with Los Angeles, and his sixth 40-plus point performance in a brilliant seven-game stretch.
He also surpassed George Mikan for the fifth-most 40-point games in franchise history in just his 101st regular-season game with the club.
Deni Avdija notched 22 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds for Portland, while Damian Lillard chipped in 22 points as the Trail Blazers suffered only their second loss of the season.
In other NBA Cup action, Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics to a dominant 119-80 blowout victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Tatum tallied 34 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, fueling a blistering shooting performance where Boston sank 17 of 31 three-pointers in the first half alone to build an insurmountable 31-point advantage.
The struggling Hornets, playing without injured starters and losing Brandon Miller to a groin injury in the second quarter, dropped their sixth straight game.