- Luka Dončić scored 49 points to lead the Lakers to their first win of the season against the Timberwolves.
- Dončić became the first Lakers player to start a season with back-to-back 40-point games.
- He is now the eighth player in franchise history to record consecutive 40-point games.
LOS ANGELES — Luka Dončić continues to etch his name into the Los Angeles Lakers’ history books and the early 2025-26 MVP conversation.
Dončić produced 49 points, along with 11 rebounds and eight assists, for the Lakers in a 128-110 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves for their first win of the season Friday.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was pleased with the ‘complete game’ he saw from his star player.
‘We needed him,’ Redick said. ‘We had to have him scoring early. They were just making shots. We made some defensive mistakes.
‘They went to some blitzes and double teams, so he became a willing passer. Defensively, I thought they really attacked him early. He responded to that. His defense, from halfway through the first quarter on, was really good.’
Dončić appeared exhausted and hurt coming out of the first quarter, with an athletic trainer looking at his left hand, but it didn’t prevent him from having another dominant night.
Dončić became the eighth Lakers player to score back-to-back 40-point games and the first since LeBron James during the 2022-23 season. He’s also the organization’s first player to do it to start the season.
The five-time NBA All-Star became the fourth Lakers player since 1996-97 to produce multiple games with 30-plus points in a half, joining James, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Dončić had 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in the loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
‘It felt great,’ Dončić said about the first two games of the season. ‘Wish we had won the first game. But obviously it’s a good comeback. I think Minnesota’s a great team. We had to do a lot to win today. But I feel great, just trying to, I want to win every game.’
Despite another standout game, the guard failed to accomplish one thing: score 50 points.
‘There was some discussion around whether or not I’m trying to get the guy 50 (points),’ Redick said jokily about keeping Dončić in the game late into the fourth quarter. ‘I had already given him three chances. I gave him a fourth chance; he gets fouled, and then he blows that, too. But no, he was awesome.’
Dončić provided a spark for Los Angeles with 23 points in the first quarter, tying Bryant and Kyle Kuzma for the most points in the first quarter for a Laker since the 1996-97 season. It was also the 12th time in Dončić’s career that he scored 20-plus points in the opening period. It was the 25th time he had 20 or more points in a single quarter during his NBA career.
The Timberwolves led the Lakers by as many as 11 points during the first half before taking a five-point lead in the final minutes of the second quarter. The Lakers took advantage of the Timberwolves’ scoring woes in the second quarter, outscoring Minnesota 32-23 and holding Anthony Edwards to a single point. Dončić had 32 of his points in the first half as the Lakers rallied from an 11-point deficit and took a 68-63 lead into the locker room.
Austin Reaves added 25 points, 11 assists and seven defensive rebounds for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura added 23 points. For the Timberwolves, Edwards finished with 31 points and five assists. Former Laker Julius Randle had 26 points and nine rebounds for Minnesota.
When do Lakers’ play next?
The Lakers will travel to play the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT).
