Luka Doncic led the Los Angeles Lakers to a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 1, scoring 42 points and recording 12 assists. In this game, Doncic broke Kobe Bryant’s franchise record for most points scored in a single month by totaling 600 points in March. He also joined Michael Jordan as one of only two players to score at least 600 points in March, with Jordan having scored 676 points in March of 1987.
Doncic’s recent performances have set several milestones. He has now scored at least 30 points in thirteen consecutive games and reached at least forty points in his last three outings. These achievements contributed to him being named Western Conference Player of the Week for two weeks straight and made him a likely candidate for Western Conference Player of the Month.
During the game against Cleveland, Doncic also reached another personal milestone by surpassing fifteen thousand career points. He became the third-youngest player to reach this mark, following LeBron James and Kevin Durant, achieving it just ahead of Kobe Bryant.
Doncic emphasized that individual success is secondary to team performance: “For sure. I mean, if you don’t win, it doesn’t really mean anything,” Doncic said after defeating the Cavaliers. “The run we have been on, I mean, it really means a lot. So, we just have to keep building on that.”
The Lakers finished March with a record of fifteen wins and two losses, securing themselves as the third seed in their conference heading into postseason play. Head coach JJ Redick said that if Doncic continues performing at this level and helps lead the Lakers through a strong finish to the season, he should be considered for NBA Most Valuable Player.
