Luka Doncic continued his scoring surge on Monday, finishing with 42 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 138-117 win over the Miami Heat. It was his fourth 40-plus-point game in his past five outings, and it lifted his league-leading scoring average to 38.8 points per game.
The performance drew strong praise from Miami star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who averages the fourth-most points in the league this season, with 28.4 per game, nearly 10 fewer than Doncic. “Obviously, he’s one of the best scorers to play this game, if not the best,” Antetokounmpo said after the Lakers improved to 6-2 with the win over the struggling Heat, who fell to 2-5. When a reporter asked for more context on the two-time MVP’s claim, Antetokounmpo answered without hesitation. “Not right now. Not right now. Of all time. I feel like some people are scared to say that, but he’s got to be up there.”
Numbers that back the claim
Antetokounmpo’s endorsement carries weight, coming from a player with nearly 22,000 career points who ranks No. 41 on the all-time scoring list, just behind Larry Bird. The statistics also support Doncic’s case. His career scoring average of 29.32 points trails only Michael Jordan (30.12) and Wilt Chamberlain (30.07).
Against Miami, Doncic scored 20 or more points in the first half for the fifth straight game, the first Lakers player to do so since Kobe Bryant in 2007. The 27-year-old star is also on pace to win his second straight scoring title and the third of his career. In the playoffs, his career scoring average of 30.9 points is even higher than his regular-season mark.
Over his past five games, Doncic has averaged 43.4 points while shooting 53.2% from the field, 44.7% from three-point range and 89.1% from the free-throw line.
Dominance on both ends of the floor
Doncic also added 13 assists against Miami and handled the Heat’s double teams with ease. Miami blitzed him on seven possessions when he used an on-ball screen, and the Lakers scored on six of them.
Teammate Quentin Grimes described the feeling of watching Doncic on the court. “It just feels almost anything he shoots, whether it’s a circus shot or regular step-back 3, or it’s a tough floater, it just seems like everything he’s shooting is going to go in,” Grimes said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been on the court when everything somebody shoots, you think it’s going in. So, kind of crazy little heater he’s on for sure.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick pointed to the team’s offensive production. The Lakers recorded 39 assists, their most since Redick took over as coach in 2024-25. “It’s a really good offense that we’re playing right now,” Redick said. “And a lot of that, of course, is Doncic and what he’s able to do and bend the defense. And his shotmaking creates a lot of problems and then he can make every pass.”
Lakers climb in the West
Doncic was less interested in his own numbers. He focused on the Lakers’ progress, as the team moved up to No. 4 in the Western Conference standings two weeks into the season after going 2-0 in back-to-back games against Miami and the Toronto Raptors. “Obviously when we win, it feels way better,” Doncic said. “But obviously, it feels good.”