Luka Dončić posted 53 points as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118 in Emirates NBA Cup group play at Crypto.com Arena on Nov. 6, 2026.
The Story
The Los Angeles Lakers continued Emirates NBA Cup group play on Friday night by hosting the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena, and Luka Dončić’s scoring helped Los Angeles complete a comeback for a 124-118 win.
The Lakers entered the matchup after losing their first group-play game, leaving their path to the knockout round described as slim, but they also had an opportunity for revenge against the same Trail Blazers team after losing to Portland at Crypto.com Arena last week.
Portland jumped out early, hitting six of its first 11 three-point attempts to take a 29-20 lead after the first quarter, while Los Angeles missed its first 12 three-point attempts despite Dončić finding points early.
After trailing by as many as 16, the Lakers began to chip away. Jake LaRavia ended Los Angeles’ stretch from three-point range with a corner triple, and Dončić added another long-range basket as the team cut the deficit.
Dončić closed the half with a buzzer-beating three-quarters-court shot, bringing the Lakers within seven points as they headed to the break.
The momentum carried into the third quarter, when Dončić stayed hot and Los Angeles eventually tied the game at 68. In the fourth, the Lakers built a double-digit lead, though it briefly dipped to six early after Dončić sat.
When Dončić returned, LaRavia and Austin Reaves hit back-to-back triples, and the Lakers were able to close out the win with more key scoring from their star.
Dončić finished with 53 points, five rebounds and five assists on 17-of-33 shooting, including 40-or-more points for the fourth straight game and for six times in his last seven. The 53-point effort was also his second 50-point game of the season.
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