Last Thursday,LukaDončićposted his first 50-point game with the Los Angeles Lakers.This Thursday, he went a step further.
The Slovenian star posted 60 points ina 134-126 win over the Miami Heat, the highest scoring total of his Lakers career and tied for the second-highest mark of his career. It's also the Lakers' first 60-pointer since Kobe Bryant's legendary "Mamba Out" farewell game in 2016.
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The last Laker to score more than 60 points was Bryant with 61 on Feb. 2, 2009.
Between Thursday and Dončić's 40 points in the first night of the back-to-back, he posted 100 points in the span of 25 hours. He has averaged 40.9 points in his past eight games.
His full line: 60 points on 18-of-30 shooting from the field (9-of-17 on 3-pointers and 15-of-19 on free throws), 7 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists and 2 turnovers.
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Dončić had only 21 points at halftime, at which point the Lakers were down 65-59 and seemingly feeling the effects of the back-to-back. They came alive with a 15-1 run midway through the third quarter, and then Dončić scored 20 points to put the game away in the fourth.
And because some people might care about this now, Bam Adebayo had 28 points and 10 rebounds while making 7-of-10 free throws.
"I know what it's like to be in that mode,Adebayo said after the game, referring tohis recent 83-point gamethatbothered more than a few Lakers fans. "As people can see it's not easy to hit 80. He made some tough shots and you tip your hat off."
This win is the Lakers' eighth straight and 11th in their past 12 games. That has improved their record to 45-25, still good for third in the Western Conference.
That run of success has seen Dončić enter the conversation for his first career NBA MVP award. He now has the second-best odds of any player on BetMGM at +1500, though that's a distant second behind the favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is -1000 to win the award for the second straight year.
Regardless of what hardware Dončić receives, this is good as he's looked since the inexplicable trade that sent him to Los Angeles. And it remains to be seen what else the Lakers accomplish this season.