Luka Dončić has scored 308 points through his first eight games of the season, the most points since Wilt Chamberlain’s 418 points in 1962-63, the season in which he averaged 44.8 points.
Dončić had 40 points (11-for-23 from the field, 6-for-13 from beyond the arc), nine rebounds, seven assists and one steal in the Lakers’ 116-103 win over the Kings on Wednesday.
It was Dončić’s fifth 40-point performance in the last six games.
Dončić is leading the league in scoring with 38.5 points per game for the Lakers, who are second place in the Western Conference with a record of 7-2.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was asked Wednesday if this was the hottest stretch he’s ever seen from Dončić.
“Probably this and the entire month of March of last year,” said Redick, referring to when Dončić averaged 37.5 points, eight rebounds and 7.4 assists last March to lead the Lakers to a 15-2 record before he suffered a torn hamstring April 2 that sidelined him for the entire postseason.
Dončić, who has never finished in the top two in MVP voting, is putting up an early MVP campaign.
