Luka Dončić is continuing to make his mark in the Los Angeles Lakers' record books, achieving a scoring feat not seen since Kobe Bryant in 2007. During the Lakers' home game against the Miami Heat on Monday night, Dončić scored 24 points in the first half. This performance marked the fifth consecutive game where Dončić has scored at least 20 points in the first half, a streak that only Bryant had previously accomplished as a Laker.
Lakers coach JJ Redick expressed his admiration for Dončić's performance. "I don’t take it for granted," Redick said before the game. "A lot of times you can just be agog at his offensive prowess. Watching some of the tape [Sunday] night, and even during the game, I think our guys were like agog at his defense. And it was just awesome. It was inspiring. I really mean that."
This is not the first time this season Dončić's name has been mentioned alongside the Lakers legend. Last Friday, Dončić scored 21 points in the first quarter of the Lakers' road game against the Golden State Warriors. That quarter marked his 33rd career 20-point quarter and his 10th as a Laker. He joined Bryant as the only Lakers players with at least 10 20-point quarters since the year 2000. Bryant recorded 36 such quarters between 2000 and his retirement in 2016.
Dončić is currently leading the league with an average of 37.7 points per game, the highest scoring average by a player other than Wilt Chamberlain in NBA history. His continued offensive production suggests he is poised to set more franchise records this season.
