Luka Can't Stop Scoring 40, and LeBron's Cleveland Homecoming Goes Sideways

Friday was a group play night for the NBA Cup, with nine games on the schedule. Nobody owned it like Luka Doncic. He dropped 53 points as the Lakers held off the Portland Trail Blazers 124–118. That's his fourth straight game with at least 40 points. Over nine games, he's scored 361 points, which averages 40.1 a night. That's not a hot streak anymore. That's just who he is right now.

The other big story was in Cleveland, though it wasn't the one people hoped for. LeBron James was back at Rocket Arena after picking the Philadelphia 76ers over a third stint in Cleveland this offseason, and he had one of the quietest nights of his career. He scored eight points on 3-of-12 shooting and missed all four of his threes in 31 minutes. ESPN notes it's only the 10th time in his 24 regular seasons that he's scored in single digits.

The Cavaliers ran away with it 119–95. Donovan Mitchell had 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists; Evan Mobley added 22, and James Harden chipped in 17. Seven Cavs scored in double figures, and Cleveland out-rebounded Philly by 14, even without Jarrett Allen, who sat with a bruised knee. Joel Embiid went 0-for-9 from the field. Jaylen Brown led the Sixers with 20. Philly, now 8–2, had won five straight.

Elsewhere, Jayson Tatum put up 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists as Boston crushed Charlotte 119–80. Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 35 for Oklahoma City in a 128–97 win over Memphis. And Victor Wembanyama's Spurs beat Sacramento 124–109 for their seventh straight win. He's the only player with at least 250 points, 100 rebounds, and 35 blocks through his first nine games.

Is Luka on his way to an MVP season, and should we be worried about LeBron at this stage of his career?