Luka Doncic was quick to focus on the achievements of his Los Angeles Lakers team-mates rather than himself after their 117-112 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA. 

Doncic had 44 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his return after a three-game absence with a sprained finger on his left hand and a lower left leg contusion. 

It was the Slovenian's third straight 40-point game after scoring 43 in their season-opener against the Golden State Warriors, followed by 49 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Indeed, he became the only player in NBA history, other than the great Wilt Chamberlain, to top the 40-point plateau in three straight games to begin his season.

Chamberlain achieved the feat twice, doing so between seven consecutive games in 1962-63 along with five straight such games the season prior. 

"I mean, I feel great," Doncic said when asked about being included in such rare company with the basketball legend. "But obviously, if we get a win, I feel even better.

"So that's the whole point, trying to help the team to win. And sometimes it's going to be scoring, sometimes other things."

Luka's back pic.twitter.com/6E7Uu0XNFk

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 1, 2025

Along with his impressive points haul, Doncic also chipped in with team-high totals for rebounds (12) and assists (six), helping the Lakers recover from a 15-point deficit. 

However, his scoring display took him to 136 points for the season. Only Chamberlain and Michael Jordan in 1986-87 have registered 125 points or more in their first three games to start an NBA season. 

And, by averaging 45.3 points in his first three games, Doncic became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to average 45 or more in any three-game span.

"That's going to be tough," Doncic said when asked if he could become the only player other than Chamberlain to average 40 points for a season.

"Sometimes they're going to double me more. Sometimes I won't be able to score that much.

"I had, I think, three or four shots that were crazy shots that I felt like doing, but they were terrible shots. I've got to work on that. But that's tough. I don't know."

Austin Reaves also played his part, adding 21 points for the Lakers, while Jake LaRavia scored 13.

Reaves averaged 40 points on 50% shooting (41.4% from 3) with 10 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals in the three games that Doncic missed. 

"His ability to get us off to hot starts is big for us because, if you come out, and he has 15 in the first, we're going to score, I would assume, 30 [points]," Reaves said of Doncic. 

"Unless everybody else is shooting bricks like I was tonight."