Dončić Drops 42 as Lakers Beat Heat 138-117

Luka Dončić scored 42 points on Monday night, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat 138-117 at home.

Dončić made 14 of his 24 shots from the field and 6 of 15 from three-point range, the long-distance shot worth three points. He also hit 8 of 10 free throws, the uncontested shots from the line. He added 13 assists, passes that lead directly to a made basket, along with seven rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes on the floor.

The night pushed his season scoring average to 38.3 points per game, the best in the NBA, according to The Guardian. He has averaged 43.4 points over his last five games. The Lakers are 6-2 to start the season.

The bigger picture is his career. Dončić, 27, has averaged 29.32 points per game across his career. Only Michael Jordan (30.12) and Wilt Chamberlain (30.07) have higher career averages. He has 15,289 career points, which ranks 165th on the league's all-time list.

Those numbers drew a reaction from Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who called Dončić "one of the best scorers to play this game, if not the best." He then clarified that he meant of all time, per the same report.

Dončić is also the league's all-time leading scorer in the NBA Cup, the in-season tournament, averaging 32.8 points in 13 games.

For Lakers fans, the early pace matters. Scoring at this rate forces defenses to choose between doubling Dončić and leaving shooters open, which is how a star's night can open space for everyone else. Monday's 138 points show what that looks like on the scoreboard.

The Lakers and Heat will go back to their schedules now. The early season is long, and a 42-point night is one game of many.