Luka Dončić accomplished something special with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

The star guard posted his first 50-point game with the franchise more than a year after the trade that landed him in Los Angeles, with 51 points on 17-of-31 shooting plus 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals. And 8-of-9 on free throws, because that matters now.

Overall, it’s Dončić’s eighth career 50-point game and first since the 2023-24 season, when he scored 73 points. Before Thursday, his scoring high with the Lakers was 49 points on Oct. 24.

The Lakers won the game against the Chicago Bulls, 142-130, giving them sole possession of the No. 3 spot in the West.

Of course, some Lakers fans might have preferred Dončić scoring 33 more points, anything to overtake Bam Adebayo’s historic 83-point night on Tuesday. The Lakers announcers certainly seemed affronted by how Adebayo overtook franchise legend Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game.

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