Luka Doncic surpasses Michael Jordan

Luka Doncic is putting together an early-season run worthy of MVP consideration. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar dropped 35 points in a 118–116 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena, improving the Purple and Gold to 7–2 and moving them into second place in the Western Conference – just one game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“Honestly, I’m really enjoying playing with these guys,” Doncic said after the win. “Like you said, you know AR [Austin Reaves] can play, and we still don’t have Bron [LeBron James]. This team has great potential. Everyone who steps on the floor gives maximum effort, so it’s really fun to play this way.”

New record for Luka Doncic

With his 35 points against San Antonio, Doncic reached 200 points in his first five games of the season, surpassing Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, who scored 197 in the same span back in 1986. The only player in NBA history to record more points than Doncic in the first five games of a campaign is Wilt Chamberlain, who posted 256 in 1961 and 264 in 1962.

The Slovenian is currently averaging 40 points per game and has also shown notable improvement on the defensive end. On Wednesday, he added five steals, two blocks, and nine rebounds – numbers that underline the evolution of his overall game.

“Well, first of all, it’s about communication,” Doncic said when asked about his defense. “It’s knowing how to put your teammates in the right position. A lot of times I’m the low man on defense, so I have to call it out and make sure everyone’s in place. Then it’s just overall activity. I think it’s gotten better, we’re more focused, and we just have to keep it going.”

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