Lakers’ Luka Doncic closer to breaking Stephen Curry’s record after hot start vs. Pacers

The Los Angeles Lakers continued their late-season surge on Wednesday night, defeating the Indiana Pacers 137-130 behind another stellar outing from Luka Doncic. The Slovenian star finished with 43 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, his league-leading 14th 40-point game of the season.

Setting the pace early, Doncic scored 21 points in the first quarter, his eighth instance of a 20-point period this season, moving closer to Stephen Curry’s 2015-16 record of 11. He also reached 11 consecutive 30-point games, equaling the longest streak in the last 20 years.

The 27-year-old has been historically productive during this stretch, averaging 40.7 points across the Lakers’ six-game road trip, the first player to average 40 over such a span since Michael Jordan in 1986-87. He currently leads the NBA in scoring at 33.6 points per game.

Doncic also shot 15-of-30 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line, continuing a stretch that includes five 40-point games in his last 11 outings.

Los Angeles (47-26) controlled the game early, jumping out to a 10-0 lead and building a 45-28 advantage after one quarter. They led by as many as 29 points and entered the fourth quarter ahead 105-85 before Indiana (16-57) mounted a late push, bringing the margin down to six in the final minute.

LeBron James contributed 23 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, while Austin Reaves finished with 25 points and eight assists. Jaxson Hayes recorded his first double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lakers, playing without Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, and Marcus Smart, completed the road trip 5-1 and have now won 13 of their last 15 games. They sit third in the Western Conference with nine games remaining and will next host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.

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