Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic is off to the greatest five-game start in NBA history, a statement not rooted in hyperbole, but in statistics.
In Wednesday’s 118-116 win over the San Antonio Spurs, the Slovenian superstar dropped 35 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks — a stat line never recorded by a Laker in an NBA regular-season game ever.
Through his first five games, Doncic has amassed 200 points, 55 rebounds, 46 assists, 10 steals and three blocks with a plus/minus of 26. He’s the first player in league history to average 40/5/5 to start a season, per Real Sports App.
Luka Doncic on Unstoppable Run
Furthermore, Doncic is the first player in NBA history to assist or score on 311 or points through the first five games of a season, according to OPTAStats.
Remarkably, this isn’t the first instance in Doncic’s career when he has averaged at least 40 points, 11 rebounds and 9.2 assists through a five-game stretch.
According to NBA.com/Stats, only 12 such streaks have ever existed, and Doncic now owns seven of them. However, this is the first time he’s averaged those numbers through the first five games of a season, his first in Lakers colors.
Lakers Improve to 7-2
With Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Gabe Vincent sidelined on Thursday, Doncic took the onus to start the game aggressively. He posted 22 points, six rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks within the first half — becoming the first player to record that statline within the first two quarters of a game in the play-by-play era.
Doncic’s hot start helped the Lakers take a 60-59 lead into the halftime break, but the Spurs seized the advantage in the third, outscoring JJ Redick’s team, 37-28. In the final period, though, Doncic put on his cape and carried the Lakers home, making some key plays, including a key steal with 3:54 left in a back-and-forth game.
After the win, Doncic said he was happier about his defensive effort than his offense, citing his 9-of-27 shooting performance, via Spectrum SportsNet.
On his feelings about the 7-2 start, Doncic said: “The feeling is I’m very much enjoying playing with these guys. AR can’t play [groin injury], we’re still missing Bron [sciatica], so this team has big potential. It’s been very enjoyable to play with these guys.”
The Lakers (7-2) will try to build on their five-game winning streak when they face the Atlanta Hawks (4-4) in an away game on Saturday. The game marks a five-game road trip, which includes stops in Oklahoma City and Milwaukee.
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