Luka Dončić Joins Wilt Chamberlain With Another 40-Point Game to Start Season

The Lakers’ superstar guard dropped 44 points on the Grizzlies Friday.

Luka Dončić had 44 points in the Lakers’ win over the Grizzlies Friday / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Luka Dončić continued his heater to start the 2025-26 season following his return from a three-game absence due to a left-finger sprain and a contusion to his lower left leg.

In the Lakers’ 117–112 win over the Grizzlies in NBA Cup group play Friday, the superstar guard had 44 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. It’s his third 40-point game of the season in as many tries, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to top 40 points in three straight games to begin a season, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Dončić scored 43 points in his first game of the season, followed by a 49-point performance in game two for a whopping 136 total points through the three games he’s played in thus far. He’s averaging an incredible 45.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game in the small sample.

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Chamberlain remarkably reached the feat twice, scoring 40 or more in seven straight games to start the 1962–63 season and five straight in 1961–62, per ESPN. Joining the NBA legend’s company for any record is impressive and speaks to Dončić’s tear to start his first full season as a Laker.

Los Angeles moves to 4–2 on the season as Austin Reaves added 21 points to help defeat Memphis Friday. They went 2–1 over Dončić’s absence while LeBron James is sidelined to start the year due to sciatica. Reaves starred with Dončić and James out, highlighted by a 51-point night in a win over the Kings Sunday, followed by performances of 41 and 28 points in his next two games.

The Lakers travel home to play the Heat Sunday in Dončić’s next opportunity to keep his 40-point streak alive.

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