Lakers Notes: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton

Luka is living in Wilt space.

Luka Doncic returned from a sprained finger and lower-leg contusion and immediately dropped 44 on Memphis — becoming the only player not named Wilt Chamberlain to open a season with three straight 40-plus games.

He’s averaging 45.3 through those games. Only Kobe Bryant (2007) is the last Lakers player to average 45 or more across any three-game stretch.

“I feel great,” Doncic said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “But obviously, if we get a win, I feel even better.”

He said he doesn’t see himself averaging 40 for a season — calling it “tough” — but he knows the doubles are coming and he knows some of his attempts Friday were “terrible shots.”

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— Marcus Smart returned from a quad contusion and added 12 points, four assists and two steals. “He’s gotta be the leader of the physicality,” coach JJ Redick said, via Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. “He set the tone.”

— Deandre Ayton did not play the second half due to back spasms. Redick said he was technically available in the fourth but they didn’t want to risk it.

— Austin Reaves averaged 40 while Luka was out. He had 21 against Memphis but shot just 5-for-14. “Unless everybody else is shooting bricks like I was,” Reaves joked.

— Friday was the Lakers’ first NBA Cup group play game. They still have New Orleans (Nov. 14), Clippers (Nov. 25) and Mavericks (Nov. 28) ahead. Ayton said the Cup energy feels like “a little taste of an All-Star Game… dudes playing extremely hard.”