{"id":956160,"date":"2026-11-07T17:30:22","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T17:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/956160\/"},"modified":"2026-11-07T17:30:22","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T17:30:22","slug":"starting-5-luka-drops-53-tatum-dominates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/956160\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting 5: Luka Drops 53, Tatum Dominates"},"content":{"rendered":"

This shot totally makes sense.<\/p>\n

No doubt. Of course it does. (Are you seeing this?!)<\/p>\n

5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION \ud83c\udfc0\"[<\/p>\n

Luka\u2019s Lakers: The Don is in another world right now<\/p>\n

Celtics Roll: Jayson Tatum fuels a dominant performance by Boston<\/p>\n

Mexico City Awaits: The Nuggets and Pacers face off in Arena CDMX this evening<\/p>\n

Knickstape: Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet have the Knicks\u2019 bench humming ahead of a matchup with the Cavs<\/p>\n

The Best: Check out the top fantasy performers of the season so far<\/p>\n

BUT FIRST \u2026 \u23f0<\/p>\n

A Saturday in Mexico\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Tonight's<\/p>\n

Our seven-game Saturday slate is headlined by the Mexico City Game 2026, featuring the Nuggets and Pacers (5 ET, NBA TV), with the Knicks facing the Cavaliers in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch (8 ET, NBA TV) in the nightcap.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, the Warriors and Spurs look to keep the streak alive as they take on the Magic and Trail Blazers, respectively.<\/p>\n

1. LUKA LEADS LAKERS, CONTINUES LEGENDARY RUN<\/p>\n

\"[<\/p>\n

He\u2019s averaging 40.<\/p>\n

Lakers 124, Trail Blazers 118: Luka Don\u010di\u0107 (53 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast<\/a>) looked unstoppable as the Lakers broke away in the third quarter, then fought off multiple comeback attempts from a feisty Portland squad to earn the top seed in the West. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

He\u2019s A Man: Luka is now averaging 40.1 ppg for the season. Only one other player has done that through nine games: Wilt Chamberlain in 1961 and 1962
\nLaker Luminaries: He\u2019s the fourth Laker with four consecutive 40+ point games, joining George Mikan, Elgin Baylor and Kobe Bryant
\nDon, Meet Don: Don\u010di\u0107 is the first player to put up 40+ in four straight games since Donovan Mitchell in 2023<\/p>\n

Luka\u2019s 53 is the second-most points scored by a player in the Emirates NBA Cup (De\u2019Aaron Fox, 60, in 2024).<\/p>\n

The numbers are translating to wins. The Lakers are 8-2 for the first time since 2019-20, when they won the title.<\/p>\n

Luka Leads: Los Angeles is 5-1 when Luka goes for 40+ this season
\nAnother Test: The Lakers play the Pistons (6 ET, League Pass) on Sunday, leading the No. 1 offense against the No. 1 defense<\/p>\n

\"[<\/p>\n

Cavaliers 119, 76ers 95: Donovan Mitchell (23 pts, 8 ast, team-high +28<\/a>) sparked Cleveland, while Thomas Bryant (13 pts) and Meleek Thomas (12 pts) helped create a 44-25 bench point advantage as the Cavs snapped the Sixers\u2019 five-game winning streak. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Spurs 124, Kings 109: Victor Wembanyama (30 pts, 14 reb) followed up his 54-point career high with continued dominance as the Spurs shot 15-for-30 (50%) from 3-point range to take the win over Darius Acuff Jr. (22 pts, 8 ast) and the Kings. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Castle Makes Moves: Check out the athleticism on this spinning dime<\/a> from Stephon Castle (19 pts, 7 ast), who also threw down this alley-oop jam<\/a> from Wemby
\nBlazing: San Antonio won its seventh straight game. The Spurs had three longer streaks last season, so stay tuned<\/p>\n

\"[<\/p>\n

Thunder 128, Grizzlies 97: Ajay Mitchell (35 pts, team-high +33<\/a>) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28 pts) combined to give the Thunder a big win to move into the top three in the Western Conference standings. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

2. ROUNDUP: TATUM DOES IT ALL, MAVS HAVE MOREZ MANIA<\/p>\n

\"[<\/p>\n

Celtics 119, Hornets 80: Jayson Tatum (34 pts on 16 FGA, 8 reb,9 ast<\/a>) went off as Boston dominated Charlotte on the road, leading by as many as 46 in a wire-to-wire win. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Boston\u2019s Best: JT\u2019s totaled 223 points and 64 assists this season. No Celtic has ever reached those totals through the first eight games of a campaign
\nStarting Strong: Tatum had 18 in the opening period as the Celtics dropped 40. He\u2019s second in the Association in first-quarter scoring behind Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/p>\n

Hawks 139, Wizards 132: Six Hawks scored in double figures, including Dyson Daniels (13 pts, 9 reb, 12 ast, 2 stl), who stuffed the stat sheet to hold off Kyshawn George (33 pts) and the Wizards. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Flying Home: Washington cut Atlanta\u2019s lead to one with 3:10 remaining, but the Hawks closed on a 15-9 run to seize their third straight win<\/p>\n

Raptors 121, Bucks 107: Alijah Martin (27 pts, 6 3PM<\/a>) came into Friday averaging 3.3 ppg. But with the Raptors short-handed, he had the best game of his career, leading Toronto over Tyler Herro (23 pts, 10 ast) and the Bucks. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

\"[<\/p>\n

Mavericks 112, Jazz 100: Morez Johnson Jr. (13 pts, 17 reb in 24 min) dominated the glass, while P.J. Washington (26 pts) paced the Dallas attack in overcoming Darryn Peterson (career-high 21 pts) and the Jazz. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Dallas Duo: Cooper Flagg (21 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) and Kyrie Irving (14 pts) delivered two top-notch highlights<\/a>
\nA Young Phenom: Peterson is the only Jazz player to total 120+ points and 15+ 3PM in his first nine games in franchise history<\/p>\n

Timberwolves 115, Pelicans 109: Ayo Dosunmu (26 pts) led the Wolves to a road win over Jeremiah Fears (24 pts) and the Pelicans, who keep having contests go down to the final moments this season. New Orleans is tied for second in clutch games played with six. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

3. THE MEXICO CITY GAME 2026<\/p>\n

\"[<\/p>\n

The NBA returns to Mexico for the 35th time today (5 ET, NBA TV), as the League continues its annual excursion to the south with the Nuggets taking on the Pacers.<\/p>\n

This is the fifth consecutive year \u2014 and the 15th time since 2014, along with one game in 1997 \u2014 that the NBA has hosted a regular-season game in Mexico.<\/p>\n

The country has hosted the most NBA games outside of the United States and Canada.<\/p>\n

Nikola Joki\u0107, a three-time Kia MVP and 2023 NBA champion, will highlight the affair, as he comes off 32 pts, 10 reb and 11 ast on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s averaging a near triple-double (23.4 pts, 9.7 reb, 9.3 ast) for the third consecutive season, which would tie the NBA record held by Russell Westbrook, but hasn\u2019t been at his best, especially from 3-point range, where he\u2019s shooting just 21.9%.<\/p>\n

The Joker will look to get right against Pascal Siakam (21.3 pts, 7.1 reb, 3.8 ast), who has been efficient as always, and the Pacers.<\/p>\n

The two big men boast 12 All-Star appearances between them, but the guards might decide the action.<\/p>\n

Jamal Murray put up 35 and 39 points in two of his last three outings, while Andrew Nembhard has steadied the ship in the absence of Tyrese Haliburton, posting 20+ points in each of his last three games.<\/p>\n

Both David Adelman and Rick Carlisle are noted for their offensive brilliance. Could we see some fireworks as the NBA tips off during a week of \u201cD\u00eda de Muertos\u201d celebrations?<\/p>\n

NBA.com<\/a>\u2019s Brian Martin has more for you about the game and the Association\u2019s history in Mexico<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. NBA TV: KNICKS\u2019 BENCH FIRING AGAIN
\n\"[<\/p>\n

Nathaniel S. Butler\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The defending champion New York Knicks have found their form after an 0-3 start, reaching .500 by dropping 84 points in the first half of their win Wednesday over the Chicago Bulls, tying their franchise record in the play-by-play era.<\/p>\n

Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson have been sparkplugs off the bench, providing depth and firepower for the Knicks\u2019 experienced core, as they did in their title run.<\/p>\n

\"[<\/p>\n

The Knicks have outscored their opponents by 7.7 ppg with Clarkson on the floor \u2014 best on the team \u2014 partly because of drives like these.<\/p>\n

\"[<\/p>\n

Clarkson and Shamet have a +39.8 NetRTG when sharing the floor this season. They changed the pace here against the Bulls.<\/p>\n

\"[<\/p>\n

Shamet, a weapon from distance, is shooting 42.5% from 3-point range so far this season, knocking down 17 3PM.<\/p>\n

Coach Mike Brown praised Clarkson\u2019s ability to step up when called upon, even with inconsistent minutes, after New York beat the Nets Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have a veteran that\u2019s been there, done that, and he\u2019s willing to accept the role that most guys wouldn\u2019t accept,\u201d Brown said. \u201cIf he\u2019s willing to accept it, which is what he did last year, and still try to uplift everybody and connect everybody while he\u2019s going through what he\u2019s going through, that\u2019s the ultimate team player.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clarkson and the Knicks will face his former team, the Cavaliers, in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch Saturday (8 ET, NBA TV).<\/p>\n

5. THE FANTASY LANDSCAPE
\n\"[<\/p>\n

Adam Hagy\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

NBA.com<\/a>\u2019s Steve Inman & Jed Katz have a look at the top players in fantasy basketball so far this season.<\/p>\n

If you own one of these stars,\u00a0consider yourself blessed.<\/p>\n

Here, we give you a sneak-peek\u00a0of the top three.<\/p>\n

1. Victor Wembanyama<\/a>, San Antonio Spurs<\/p>\n

Wembanyama put up the stat line of the season Wednesday night. 52 points, 24 rebounds and 8 blocks in a one-point win against the Mavericks. This was good for a whopping 110 High Score points. He is the first player with 50-plus points, 20-plus rebounds and 5-plus blocks since Bob McAdoo in 1973-74.<\/p>\n

2. Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a>, Los Angeles Lakers<\/p>\n

What more can we say about Luka Don\u010di\u0107? Wednesday night, he became the first player since Michael Jordan (1988-89) to reach 300-plus points through his first eight games of the season. He followed it up Friday with 53.<\/p>\n

3. Nikola Joki\u0107<\/a>, Denver Nuggets<\/p>\n

Joki\u0107 is coming off one of his best performances from Wednesday night: 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a win over the Raptors. It was a strong outing that was overshadowed by Wembanyama\u2019s insane performance on the same night.<\/p>\n

Visit NBA.com<\/a> to read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Want to share\u00a0Starting\u00a05\u00a0with a friend?\u00a0Send them this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shape the Starting 5.\u00a0\u00a0Email us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t have the NBA App? Download it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This shot totally makes sense. No doubt. Of course it does. (Are you seeing this?!) 5 STORIES IN…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":956161,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":["post-956160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/956160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=956160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/956160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/956161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=956160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=956160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=956160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}