Luka Doncic Ties Magic Johnson Record in Incredible Start With Lakers

Luka Doncic has not even played one full season with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he is already breaking team records. On a huge night for the team, Doncic tied Magic Johnson for the 10th-most regular-season 40-point games in Lakers history — and he did it much faster.

Magic Johnson needed 906 games to record six 40-point regular-season games. Luka Doncic reached the same number in only 38 games with the Lakers, which means he did it 1,053 games faster than Magic. Including last season’s playoffs, Doncic has played just 43 total games in the purple and gold, making the achievement even more impressive.

Magic still leads when you combine regular-season and playoff 40-point games. Johnson added four more in the postseason, including his famous 42-point, 15-rebound game in the 1980 NBA Finals. Doncic has not scored 40 in the playoffs yet, but he has only played five postseason games as a Laker.

Luka Doncic also set another NBA record this week. He became the first player ever to start a season with back-to-back games of 40+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists. It shows how well-rounded and dominant his game is right now.

Lakers legend James Worthy even compared Doncic to Magic Johnson earlier this year. He said both players “can take a snapshot,” meaning they see the whole floor as soon as they get the rebound. Worthy said they both know exactly where teammates will be before making a pass.

Last postseason, even when people questioned his conditioning, Luka Doncic still averaged 28.2 points and almost eight assists. He also became the first Laker since Kobe Bryant in 2006 to record back-to-back games with 35 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five three-pointers.

His strong play continued in Milwaukee. The Lakers ended their road trip with a big win over the Bucks, thanks to a fast start from Luka Doncic. He hit three straight three-pointers and scored 10 quick points to help LA jump out to a 16-2 lead. By halftime, the Lakers were up 63-34 after a huge 23-2 run.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points for Milwaukee, but it didn’t matter. Luka Doncic finished with 41 points and helped LA get their second straight win.

Next, the Lakers will face the Utah Jazz on Tuesday before getting a short break.

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