Luka Dončić goes off for 52 points, 10 assists

Dončić fell short of the 40-point plateau in his return from a one-game absence due to a minor back issue, but showed no signs of rust, turning in another spectacular all-around performance that left him two rebounds shy of a triple-double. He scored 18 of his 32 points after halftime, helping Los Angeles withstand a late Atlanta rally before pulling away in the closing minutes. The Lakers were also without Austin Reaves (illness) in this one, making Dončić’s latest all-around performance even more impressive. The 27-year-old franchise cornerstone has been virtually unstoppable through the early stages of the season and has quickly established himself as the frontrunner in the MVP race.

Luka sat out Sunday with a back issue, although it may have just been precautionary since the Lakers play a Sunday-Monday back-to-back set. Austin Reaves scored a season-high 43 points in Sunday’s victory over the Pistons, but he’s now listed as questionable with an illness. Even if Reaves is available, he’s likely going to take a backseat to Dončić in the scoring department, as he’s done all season.

Dončić will miss his second game of the season, the first being an October 28 win over the Clippers. Austin Reaves took on primary playmaking in that game and struggled, shooting 6-of-16 from the field and committing eight turnovers. As for the starting lineup, Quentin Grimes could replace Dončić.

Dončić, who most recently scored 53 points in Friday’s win over the Trail Blazers, has been on an absolute tear over the last two weeks. If he can’t play on Sunday, Austin Reaves’ role would grow in importance, while Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton would likely see their minutes increase.

Dončić finished Friday’s victory with his 11th 50-point game, moving past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Allen Iverson to land in tenth on the league’s all-time list. But that wasn’t the only history the Lakers star made on Friday. Dončić has tallied at least 35 points, five rebounds, and five assists in seven straight games, tying Oscar Robertson for the longest such streak in league history. Also, Dončić, who outscored Portland 20-15 in the third quarter, has scored at least 40 points in four straight games. He’s on an incredible run, which is great for those rostering Dončić.

Luka’s MVP campaign continues in Sacramento where he puts another massive statement game against the Kings. He took over in the third quarter, and the Lakers separated themselves against the Kings in this game. He’s been everything you could’ve wanted and more this season and the hope is that he doesn’t get hurt.

It has been an unreal start to the season for Dončić, and Monday’s performance was just another chapter. He has scored at least 35 points and knocked down at least six three-pointers in each of his last five appearances, while going for at least 40 in four of those outings. The one game he didn’t score 40, he had 37, which was also the only game during this stretch where he shot below 50 percent from the floor. Dončić set a new season high for assists in this game as well. He has been an elite offensive engine, and he’ll look to stay hot against the Kings on Wednesday.

Dončić put on a show Sunday night, shooting high percentages from the field and the foul line as part of an elite stat line. With the Lakers’ deep reserves failing to put the Raptors away, head coach JJ Redick had to insert four starters back into the game. That got Dončić four more points from the foul line. The lone negative was the seven turnovers, but the stat line was so robust that few will complain. The Lakers play four games next week, starting with the Heat on Monday.

Dončić was rolling during the first quarter, knocking down five three-pointers and scoring 21 points. Unfortunately for the Lakers, their star guard needed a rest to start the second quarter, which opened the door for the Warriors to turn things around. While Dončić scored 13 second-half points, he didn’t get enough help from teammates beyond Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler to avoid the defeat. The Lakers host Toronto on Sunday to end their week.

While Dončić is back after sitting out Wednesday’s win over the Clippers, Ziaire Williams will miss another game. As a result, LaRavia will remain in the starting lineup, while Dončić’s return pushes Quentin Grimes to the bench.