Doncic Scores 42 in Lakers Win

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 138-117 on Monday night.

Luka Doncic scored 42 points, recorded 13 assists, and grabbed seven rebounds in the victory. He hit six three-pointers, continuing a run that includes at least 37 points in his last five games. In that span, he averages 43.4 points per game. This was his fourth 40-point performance in his last five contests. He had just posted 45 points and 15 assists in a win over Toronto on Sunday.

Austin Reaves contributed 27 points for the Lakers. Walker Kessler added 15 points and 15 rebounds. Los Angeles improved to a 6-2 record with the result. The team played on the road on Sunday before hosting Miami on Monday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Heat with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Klay Thompson scored 19 points, and Bam Adebayo added 16. Miami dropped its fifth game in its first seven matches of the season. This is the Greek star's first year playing for the Heat. The team began a five-game Western Conference road trip with this loss. Miami last played on Friday.

Doncic averaged 15.0 points in the first quarter this season. He scored at least 13 points in all but one of his seven games this year. He finished the first quarter of Monday's game with 16 points, five assists, and four rebounds. He is the reigning NBA scoring champion.

Heat president Pat Riley received a large ovation from the Lakers crowd when his name appeared on the scoreboard. The Lakers unveiled a statue of Riley outside their downtown arena last season to honor his time as a coach during the Showtime era.