The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118 on Friday night in NBA Cup action, and the game was flipped by Luka Doncic making a 62-foot shot to close the first half. LA couldn’t buy a bucket early. The Lakers had just 20 first-quarter points and missed their first 15 3-point attempts. It seemed like the Blazers would blow out Los Angeles until Doncic’s momentum-shifting make.
Luka had 20 points in the first half, but was just six-for-15 shooting before the three-quarter-court make. The Blazers were up ten before the ball went through the net. They had frustrated Doncic with physical play, and Austin Reaves had made just three of his 11 first-half field goals. It was a disastrous performance for the Lakers before Luka did something he often practices.
Doncic loves to shoot from beyond halfcourt and bet his teammates he can make wild shots. Some question why Luka is always practicing those unlikely attempts. The work paid off against the Blazers as the Lakers completely flipped the game after Doncic’s second-quarter buzzer-beater.
Luka Doncic’s wild shot flipped the game
This was the longest make of Luka’s career. The Lakers were struggling to get their high-powered offense rolling, and Doncic was frustrated. He had already picked up a technical foul, and the Lakers just needed a spark. Luka delivered it.
LUKA JUST SANK IT FROM 3/4 COURT 🤯
— NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2026
Bruce Springsteen can’t believe what he just witnessed! pic.twitter.com/D0a9aSnwuX
LA dominated the third quarter 34-15, with Luka going off for 20 points on six of 12 shooting in the period. Doncic had 40 points at the end of the third quarter, and the Lakers went from down ten to up 12 after this make. It completely flipped the game.
Luka finished with 53 points, five rebounds, five assists, and one steal in 38 minutes of action. He went 17 of 33 from the field, including five 3-pointers made. The Lakers outscored Portland by 16 with Doncic on the floor on Friday night.
Luka’s shot didn’t just get him going. It gave the entire team energy. This was LA’s fifth game in seven nights. They had heavy legs in the first half and couldn’t make a jump shot. The Lakers couldn’t waste Doncic’s 62-foot make. They needed to play together and win the game to make that highlight the difference.
Luka Doncic practices shots like this on the daily
Luka’s trick shot catalog is one of the deepest in the NBA. He shoots from way downtown and takes wild attempts on the daily. It gives Doncic confidence that these shots will go in. He was clearly lining things up before Friday’s make, and it certainly worked.
There is always talk about Luka taking these wild shots. The Blazers were defending him full-court and making life tough on Luka. They knew he was on fire coming into the game. They wanted to frustrate the Lakers superstar. It was working until Luka got free to fire from way downtown to end the half.
Expect Doncic to try even more deep shots after this one. It was a game-changing moment. The Lakers dominated Portland after this went in. It was 25-8 to start the third, including a 17-0 LA run to turn this from being dominated to taking full control.
Luka Doncic stays hot and pads MVP case in win over Blazers
Doncic has scored 40-plus in four straight games after Friday’s win. It was his second 50-point game of the season and gave LA their fourth consecutive victory. If Luka misses that second-quarter prayer, things might have gone very differently for the Lakers. They needed something to flip the momentum, and Doncic delivered.
This was an MVP moment. Narrative is important in the MVP race. Luka is leading the NBA in scoring for the third time in four years. He always puts up monster numbers. Expectations were down for the Lakers after LeBron’s departure. The story is there as Luka keeps making his case as the best player on the planet.
Doncic is averaging 40.1 points and making 5.8 3-pointers per game to start this season. He has the Lakers at 8-2, which is tied for the best record in the NBA with LeBron’s new team. Luka has been unguardable, and the Lakers have built the perfect team to maximize him.
The Los Angeles Lakers went from ice cold to red hot after Luka Doncic nailed a three-quarter-court buzzer-beater to end the first half. He practices those shots every day, and that work paid off. It was an unbelievable make that flipped this game. Consider it Luka Magic.
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