Luka Doncic made National Basketball Association (NBA) history on Sunday, November 1, scoring 45 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 131-125 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Los Angeles.
The Slovenian star pulled down 15 rebounds, dished out six assists and collected five steals. Wearing the number 77 jersey, he also converted eight of his 12 attempts from three-point range, matching his best single-game mark of the season in that category.
That all-around stat line made Doncic the first player in NBA history to reach at least 15 rebounds, five assists, five steals and five three-pointers in the same game.
Lakers hold off fourth-quarter Raptors rally
While Doncic drove the victory for the hosts, he received scoring and rebounding support from his teammates. Austin Reaves contributed 19 points, and Walker Kessler finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Los Angeles opened up a lead of as many as 26 points during the contest. However, the home side had to fend off a fourth-quarter comeback attempt from Toronto to secure the win.
Scottie Barnes was the top performer for the Raptors, finishing the night with 29 points. Teammate RJ Barrett added 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the visiting Canadian side.
Los Angeles bounces back at home
Doncic entered the NBA in 2018 after winning a EuroLeague title with Real Madrid in Spain and has established himself as one of basketball's premier offensive playmakers and high-volume scorers. The NBA is North America's top professional basketball league, comprising 30 franchises split between the Western Conference, where the Lakers compete, and the Eastern Conference, which includes the Toronto-based Raptors.
Sunday's result allowed the Lakers to recover from a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday, October 30, a game in which Los Angeles squandered a 25-point advantage. With the triumph over Toronto, the Lakers improved to three wins in four games played at home.
