Doncic is back, shows he's still on point for Lakers

He returns after a three-game absence and scores 44 in victory in Memphis.

- BY THỤC NHI NGUYEN

LUKA DONCIC shook off a sprained finger and a left leg bruise, finishing with a 44-point, 12 rebound night.

(BRANDON DILL Associated Press)

Luka Doncic didn't celebrate when he sank his first half-court heave during warmups. He didn't gloat when coaches dutifully dropped to the court to pay the push-up price.

The Lakers' superstar just makes greatness feel expected.

Doncic's 44 points, 12 rebounds and six assists led the Lakers to a 117-112 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday at FedEx Forum as he returned from a three-game absence.

With a third consecutive 40-point performance, the 26-year-old guard is just the second player in NBA history to open a season by scoring 40 points in each of his first three games. Wilt Chamberlain is the other.

"Jesus," Doncic said when he heard Chamberlain scored 40 points in seven and five games to start two different seasons.

"If we get a win, I feel even better," Doncic added. "That's the whole point: trying to help the team to win. And sometimes it's going to be scoring, sometimes other things."

BRANDON DILL Associated Press LUKA DONCIC shoots over the Grizzlies' Jay Wells in the Lakers' 117-112 win. "It's been great to watch," teammate Marcus Smart says.