LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic banked in a 62-foot buzzer-beater at the end of the first half and then poured in a season-high 53 points as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied past the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118 in NBA Cup play at Crypto.com Arena on Friday night.

The win, the Lakers' fourth in a row, moved Los Angeles to 8-2 and 1-1 in NBA Cup West Group C play. It also avenged a 136-129 home loss to the same Portland team on October 27, when Doncic scored 41 points and still lost.

Key Points

• Doncic scored 53 points (17/33 FG) with five rebounds and five assists — his 11th career 50-point game, tied for 10th all time, and his fourth straight 40-point game.
• The 62-foot buzzer-beater: six seconds left, a Kessler rebound, one dribble — and a banked three-quarter-court heave that cut Portland's lead to 60-53.
• A miserable start from deep: The Lakers missed their first 15 threes and made only 4 of 23 in the first half, trailing by as many as 16 in the second quarter.
• A one-man third quarter: Doncic scored 20 points alone — more than all of Portland — as Los Angeles won the period 34-15 and took the lead for good.
• Support arrived late: Reaves added 25 points and Kessler posted 16 points and 12 rebounds; Avdija led Portland with 22 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists, and Lillard added 22.

What Happened

For nearly 24 minutes, almost nothing went right for the Lakers from long range. They opened by missing their first 15 three-point attempts, and Portland built a lead of as many as 16 points in the second quarter. The crowd at Crypto.com Arena could sense a long night coming.

Then, with six seconds left before halftime, Kessler found Doncic off a rebound. He dribbled to the top of the opposite key and launched a Hail Mary from just inside the other arc — a heave measured at 62 feet. It banked in as the buzzer sounded, and the arena erupted, cutting Portland's lead to 60-53.

Doncic went to the locker room with 20 points, the only Laker in double figures. The third quarter belonged to him: 20 points alone as Los Angeles won the period 34-15. A Ziaire Williams three, assisted by Doncic, made it 71-68 with 4:23 left — the Lakers' first lead since 2-0 — and they led 87-75 entering the fourth, with Doncic on 40.

Portland rallied once more, closing to 95-89 on a 10-0 run before LaRavia and Reaves hit back-to-back threes for 103-91. Lillard's free throws made it 114-110 with 50.8 seconds left, but Doncic's floater with 27.7 seconds left sealed it, and Reaves' free throws at 0:02 set the final score: 124-118.

Background and Context

Doncic entered as the league's leading scorer. The 53 points were his second 50-point game of the season, after 52 at Utah on October 25. He has scored at least 40 points six times in nine games, and Friday was his seventh straight game with at least 35. His 11th career 50-point game ties him for 10th on the NBA's all-time list.

The buzzer-beater was not his first this season: he also hit one from beyond half court in the opener against Golden State on October 21, a game the Lakers lost 112-95 in their NBA Cup opener. Portland arrived on a three-game winning streak and left with its second loss, having beaten the Lakers 136-129 here on October 27. In the Cup, the Lakers are 1-1 in West Group C and Portland is 0-1.

Luka Doncic's 62-Foot Buzzer-Beater: How the Shot Happened

The play was simple, which is part of why it looked so improbable. Kessler grabbed the rebound with six seconds left and found Doncic, who took two dribbles and let it fly from just inside the opposite arc. The ball travelled 62 feet — some trackers said 61 — and dropped off the glass at the buzzer. Doncic practices the shot religiously, and it showed: the release was clean, the bank soft rather than lucky.

It was the toughest look of the night for a team that had missed its first 15 threes, and it was the one that went in. The Lakers went from trudging to the locker room down seven to a team with momentum and belief, outscoring Portland by 19 in the third quarter and never trailing again. A 62-foot shot does not win a game alone.

Reactions and Quotes

The loudest reaction came from the building. The crowd rose as the ball sailed through the air and erupted when it banked in, a roar that carried into halftime. No post-game player or coach quotations appeared in the wire reports checked for this article, so none are reproduced here. The response on the floor said enough: a team that shot 4 of 23 from three in the first half won the third quarter 34-15.

Why It Matters

Doncic's run is no longer a hot streak; it is a historic opening to a season. Four straight games of at least 40 points, six 40-point games in nine outings, a tie for 10th all time in 50-point games — while carrying a Lakers team that gave him almost no help from three in the first half. He finished plus-16.

At 8-2, Los Angeles sits near the top of the West, and Friday was the kind of win that steadies a group: a comeback from 16 down, a Cup game, revenge for an earlier home loss. For Portland, it is a reminder of how thin the margin is: Avdija nearly had a triple-double, Lillard scored 22, the Blazers led by 16 on the road — and left with their second defeat.

What Happens Next

The Lakers will look to stretch their winning streak to five and keep climbing the West standings and their Cup group, with Doncic — the league's leading scorer — the nightly question. Portland will try to steady itself after its three-game winning streak ended; it proved again it can compete with the West's best on the road.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many points did Luka Doncic score against the Trail Blazers? A season-high 53 points on 17-of-33 shooting, with five rebounds and five assists in 38 minutes.

How far was Luka Doncic's buzzer-beater? 62 feet, launched from just inside the opposite three-point arc as the first-half buzzer sounded.

What was the final score of Lakers vs Trail Blazers? Lakers 124, Trail Blazers 118 — Friday, November 6, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

What is the Lakers' record after the win? 8-2, and 1-1 in NBA Cup West Group C play — their fourth straight win.

Who else starred in the game? Reaves scored 25 and Kessler had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Los Angeles; Avdija had 22 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists for Portland, and Lillard scored 22.

Read more on US News Pulse: the Lakers' earlier loss to Portland, when Doncic's 41 points went to waste in a 136-129 defeat, and the Warriors' 112-95 win over the Lakers in their NBA Cup opener, the night Doncic hit another half-court buzzer-beater.