Doncic Erupts for 53 as Lakers Rally Past Portland

WHO:

NY Post - Ziaire Williams approached Austin Reaves from behind during Reaves’ walk-off interview and appeared to confuse him with Luka Dončić; the Post described the mix-up as approaching the “wrong white person.”

NY Post - Dončić was seen peeking out behind coach JJ Redick during Redick’s postgame news conference.

Newsweek - Walker Kessler made an MVP prediction about Dončić after the Lakers’ win.

NY Post - The Lakers were in first place in the Western Conference.

Pro Football Network - Luka Dončić scored 53 points for the Lakers against the Portland Trail Blazers; Austin Reaves and NBA fans reacted to his scoring run.

NY Post - Dončić and Reaves played for the Lakers, who faced the Trail Blazers.

Silver Screen and Roll - Lakers players discussed or assessed include Dončić, Reaves, Matisse Thybulle, Jake LaRavia, Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Ziaire Williams, Collin Sexton and Adou Thiero; the coach is JJ Redick. The article also names LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Donovan Clingan, Jarred Vanderbilt, Cameron Carr, Jaden Hardy, Kevon Looney, Lawson Lovering, Bronny James, Arthur Kaluma and Chris Mañon.

WHAT:

Bleacher Report - Dončić’s 53 points were the highest single-game total in the league that season. He had scored at least 40 points in four consecutive games and six times in the Lakers’ first 10 games; his four straight 40-point games were the first by a Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in January 2012.

Bleacher Report - Dončić made at least five three-pointers in seven consecutive games and raised his season scoring average to 40.1 points per game.

Bleacher Report - Dončić made a roughly 60-foot shot at the end of the first half.

Bleacher Report - Damian Lillard scored 22 points, including 12 in the second quarter, and made four of 10 three-point attempts. Deni Avdija recorded 22 points and 11 assists; Donovan Clingan had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Bleacher Report - The Lakers outscored Portland 34-15 in the third quarter after trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half.

Bleacher Report - The Lakers were scheduled to begin a four-game road trip against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

Silver Screen and Roll - Matisse Thybulle finished with two points, two rebounds, three steals, two turnovers and a minus-8 rating; he shot 0-for-1 from the field.

Silver Screen and Roll - Jake LaRavia had one turnover and a minus-16 rating.

Silver Screen and Roll - Austin Reaves had four fouls, two turnovers and a minus-6 rating.

Silver Screen and Roll - Ziaire Williams had one foul, one turnover and a plus-8 rating.

Silver Screen and Roll - Adou Thiero was described as “fantastic” in his six minutes; he scored on a lob and assisted Ziaire Williams on a dunk.

Silver Screen and Roll - JJ Redick received a B+ grade; the article praised his use of Thiero but criticized his second challenge.

NY Post - The Lakers’ win was their fourth consecutive victory.

Newsweek - Reaves said he did not expect the usual postgame message after Dončić’s latest 50-point game.

Silver Screen and Roll - Quentin Grimes finished with a plus-19 rating; Sandro Mamukelashvili also had a plus-19 rating.

Silver Screen and Roll - Collin Sexton committed five fouls and went 0-for-1 on three-pointers.

Silver Screen and Roll - JJ Redick received a B+ grade; the article said he used his second challenge.

NY Post - Redick said, “Sure,” when asked for superlatives after Dončić’s performance.

Newsweek - Dončić’s 53-point game tied him with Wilt Chamberlain in NBA history; the performance helped the Lakers take first place in the Western Conference.

Silver Screen and Roll - Thybulle had two rebounds, two turnovers and shot 0-for-1 from the field.

Silver Screen and Roll - LaRavia recorded one steal, committed six fouls and shot 2-for-5 from the field, 2-for-3 on three-pointers and 1-for-4 on free throws.

Silver Screen and Roll - Grimes had two steals and shot 1-for-3 from the field and 0-for-2 on three-pointers.

Silver Screen and Roll - Mamukelashvili recorded three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block; he shot 2-for-6 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers and 2-for-2 on free throws.

Silver Screen and Roll - Williams recorded one assist and shot 3-for-5 from the field and 2-for-4 on three-pointers.

Silver Screen and Roll - Redick said teams have to “pick your poison” against Dončić and likened him to “a supernova.”

NY Post - Dončić scored a season-high 53 points in the Lakers’ 124-118 comeback win over the Trail Blazers.

Silver Screen and Roll - Dončić played 38 minutes and recorded 53 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal; he shot 17-for-33 from the field, 5-for-15 on three-pointers and 14-for-18 on free throws, with three fouls, three turnovers and a plus-16 rating. He received an A+ grade.

Silver Screen and Roll - Reaves played 38 minutes, scoring 25 points with three rebounds, two assists and four steals; he shot 8-for-22 overall, 1-for-8 on threes and 8-for-8 on free throws. He scored 15 points on 4-for-7 shooting in the fourth quarter and made a late steal and dunk.

Silver Screen and Roll - Kessler had 16 points and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and 2-for-3 at the free-throw line; he had two assists, one steal, five fouls, one turnover and a plus-8 rating.

Silver Screen and Roll - LaRavia recorded seven points, eight rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes. Thybulle had two points and three steals in 24 minutes. Williams scored eight points and had three rebounds and two steals in 19 minutes; his fourth-quarter deflection helped Reaves make a steal.

Silver Screen and Roll - Thiero played six minutes, setting a screen for a lob and finding Williams for a dunk. Redick used Thiero in place of Vanderbilt in the rotation.

Silver Screen and Roll - Grimes played 20 minutes and scored two points; Mamukelashvili played 20 minutes and scored seven; Sexton played 10 minutes and recorded one assist while going 0-for-4 from the field.

Silver Screen and Roll - The Lakers’ inactive players were Cameron Carr, Bronny James, Arthur Kaluma and Chris Mañon; DNPs were Jaden Hardy, Kevon Looney, Vanderbilt and Lawson Lovering.

WHERE:

NY Post - The game was played in Los Angeles.

WHY:

Silver Screen and Roll - The article said the Lakers’ depth of wings gives them options to change lineups depending on who is playing well.

HOW:

Silver Screen and Roll - The Lakers used a lineup featuring Walker Kessler and Sandro Mamukelashvili together in the first half.

Silver Screen and Roll - Reaves and Williams helped seal the win with a fourth-quarter steal sequence; Reaves finished it with a dunk.

Luka Dončić scored 53 points as the Lakers rallied past Portland, 124 to 118. Los Angeles erased a 16-point deficit with a dominant third quarter. The win extended their streak to four and put them atop the Western Conference.