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Luka Doncic's latest 45-point explosion reveals incredible Lakers scoring trend
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- Luka Doncic's latest 45-point explosion reveals incredible Lakers scoring trend
Luka Doncic's latest 45-point explosion reveals incredible Lakers scoring trend originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Luka Doncic has opened the 2026-27 NBA season with the kind of offensive production that makes ordinary scoring expectations seem irrelevant. The Los Angeles Lakers star delivered 45 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and five steals Sunday night in a 131-125 victory over the Toronto Raptors .
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Doncic also made eight 3-pointers, repeatedly creating difficult shots while helping Los Angeles recover from an earlier loss to Golden State.
The performance was impressive on its own. But it also extended an extraordinary scoring streak.
Doncic has now scored at least 37 points in four consecutive games.
Doncic is making huge scoring nights look routine
The Lakers have relied heavily on Doncic to generate offense during the opening weeks of the season. He has responded with one prolific performance after another.
Against Toronto, Doncic reached 37 points before the fourth quarter began. He finished with 45, recording his 20th game with at least 40 points in 98 regular-season appearances with Los Angeles.
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That level of production is difficult to sustain over an entire season. But Doncic has demonstrated that he can score in several ways.
He creates opportunities from beyond the arc, attacks defenders off the dribble and uses his size to finish through contact. His 15 rebounds against Toronto also demonstrated that his impact extends beyond scoring.
The Lakers still had to survive a late scare
Los Angeles appeared comfortable after taking a 104-82 lead into the fourth quarter. But Toronto refused to surrender.
The Raptors gradually reduced the deficit, taking advantage of opportunities while Doncic rested. Scottie Barnes finished with 29 points, while RJ Barrett contributed 22 points and 10 rebounds. Toronto eventually cut the Lakers' lead to five points during the final minute.
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Doncic returned to help Los Angeles protect the advantage. Austin Reaves added 19 points, and Walker Kessler contributed 16 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.
The Lakers improved to 5-2.
MORE: Kings rookie joins LeBron James and Luka Doncic in rare NBA history despite another Sacramento loss
A spectacular start with room for improvement
Los Angeles shot better than 53% from the field and nearly 49% from 3-point range. But the Lakers also committed 24 turnovers.
That number helps explain why Toronto remained competitive despite falling behind by more than 20 points. Doncic's scoring brilliance gives Los Angeles an opportunity to win even when other aspects of its performance are inconsistent.
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However, the Lakers will need to improve their ball security against stronger opponents. For now, Doncic is producing numbers that make him one of the NBA's most compelling early-season stories.
Four consecutive games with at least 37 points represent a remarkable start. The question is how long he can continue operating at this level.
