Luka Dončić’s MVP march continued in Indianapolis, where he erupted for 21 first-quarter points and a total of 43 in a 137-130 win over the hapless Pacers.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar became the first player to average 40 points over six road games since Michael Jordan in 1986, according to ESPN.
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Jordan, then 23, actually averaged 41.3 points during a seven-game road trip early in the 1986-87 campaign. He won the first of his 10 league scoring titles that season, although he didn’t win his first MVP until the following season.
Dončić, now 27, is hoping he earns that honor this year. He’s currently leading the league with 33.6 points per game, and he averaged a blistering 40.7 during the six-game swing away from L.A.
The Lakers (47-26) won five of those six games and are 13-2 in their past 15 outings.
Dončić’s latest showcase came against a bottom-dwelling Pacers squad that made the score look closer than it was with a 45-point fourth quarter.
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Still without Tyrese Haliburton, who is sitting out the season while recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered during Game 7 of last year’s NBA Finals, Indiana (16-57) could have used the city’s other star point guard: Caitlin Clark.
She was on the floor, after all — taking photographs. Clark was humorously caught by the broadcast snapping photos as LeBron James argued with officials late in the first half.
James was one of four Lakers starters to score at least 21 points in the win. He finished with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists.
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Jaxson Hayes had 21 points and 10 boards. Austin Reaves chipped in 25 points and eight dimes. Meanwhile, Dončić added seven assists and six rebounds to his stat line.
Dončić has scored 40-plus points 14 times this season, including three times during this recent torrid road stretch, in which he maxed out with 60 versus the Miami Heat.