Luka Doncic Breaks Magic Johnson Lakers Record in NBA Cup Win vs Clippers

Nov 25, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) is defended by Los Angeles Clippers guard Kris Dunn (8) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

With former two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard closing in, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic calmly stepped back and hit a deep 3-point shot in the first quarter of the Lakers' NBA Cup win over the Los Angeles Clippers Tuesday night.

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It was one of five 3-pointers Doncic would make in the first quarter alone. The five-time All-Star finished with 43 points in the Lakers' 135-118 win, adding 13 assists and nine rebounds. The win marked Doncic's fifth game with over 40 points so far this season.

5/5 from three-point land for Luka Dončić 🤯

(It's the first quarter) pic.twitter.com/GkFdyYN6wZ

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 26, 2025

During his short time in Los Angeles, Doncic is already making his mark on a legendary franchise. With Tuesday's performance, he cracked into the top ten on the team's all-time 40-point games list, passing Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Doncic has seven such performances so far this year and at his current pace, could feasibly crack into the list's top five before the end of the season.

Hall of Fame center George Mikan currently has the fifth-most 40-point games in Lakers team history.

An Epic First Quarter Start

Of Doncic's 43 points on Tuesday night, 24 came in the first quarter, as Doncic seemingly couldn't miss from deep.

After the half, forward LeBron James and guard Austin Reaves were more involved as scorers, combining for 34 points. Since James returned from a sciatica injury that kept him out for the beginning of the season, the performance was the trio's best and a sign of how potent the Lakers' offense can be.

In other news from this game in LA, Luka Doncic recorded his seventh 40-point game as a Laker, passing Magic Johnson for 10th on the team’s all-time 40-point list.

Luka also tied Magic for the sixth-most 40-point double-doubles as a Laker (6) and tied both Kobe Bryant and…

— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) November 26, 2025

"I thought tonight was a great game for all three of those guys," Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after the game. "Luka getting going early and establishing himself, LeBron and AR staying patient in that and being very efficient in that first half within that onslaught that Luka had knowing that there's going to be adjustments made."

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There were intangibles that Redick took away from the game in addition to what can be seen on the box score. Late in the fourth quarter, Clippers guard pushed Doncic in the back. After Doncic stepped forward to confront Dunn, Lakers center Jaxson Hayes entered the scrum to defend his teammate, pushing Dunn.

Hayes' move — which resulted in a technical foul in addition to Dunn's ejection from the game — displays the Lakers' chemistry, Redick said.

"We highlight that stuff to our guys all the time. Whether it's celebrating a guy making a shot ... a guy falls down after a foul, multiple guys running after to pick guys up. We're not saying you have to do that, those are not requirements. But typically guys show their cards and show their hands of whether or not they like each other and tonight was another example of that."

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.