Overview
- Dončić followed a 40-point night in Houston with 60 in Miami on the second leg of a back-to-back, playing through hip soreness as the Lakers ran their win streak to eight.
- Over the streak he is averaging 40.9 points on efficient 50.2% shooting and 42.2% from three, part of a season in which he leads the league at 33.4 points per game with 7.9 rebounds and 8.4 assists.
- NBA.com’s latest MVP ladder lists Dončić at No. 2 behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and FanDuel odds reported him as the second favorite.
- He set the Lakers’ single-season three-point record at 232 after hitting nine in Miami, drawing widespread endorsements of his MVP case from Stephen A. Smith, DeMarcus Cousins, Magic Johnson and Draymond Green.
- In Orlando on Saturday he recorded his 38th 20-point half of the season, passing Kobe Bryant for fourth-most by a Laker since tracking began in 1996-97, as 45-25 Los Angeles eyes further tests against Oklahoma City.