Dončić scores 42 as Lakers beat Heat, draws Giannis praise

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 138-117 on Monday as Luka Dončić scored 42 points, prompting Giannis Antetokounmpo to call him one of the greatest scorers in basketball history. Dončić added 13 assists and seven rebounds in the win at Crypto.com Arena. He shot 14 for 24 from the field, including six three-pointers, and made eight of 10 free throws. The Lakers improved to 6-2, while Miami fell to 2-5. After the game, Antetokounmpo, who scored 30 points with 12 rebounds and seven assists, said Dončić was among the best scorers ever and might be the best of all time. The assessment was Antetokounmpo’s opinion, not an established historical ranking. Dončić has scored at least 37 points in five consecutive games, with four 40-point performances in that span. He scored 45 against Toronto the night before the Miami game. Through seven appearances this season, he was averaging 38.3 points per game, according to postgame reports, and leading the league in scoring. The Lakers’ offense benefited from Dončić’s playmaking as Miami sent additional defenders toward him. Los Angeles scored 39 assists, its most in a game since coach JJ Redick took over in 2024, and made 19 of 43...