Luka Doncic’s Immediate Reaction After Lakers’ First Win of the Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Oct 25, 2025 9:41 AM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers earned their first win of the 2025-26 season on Friday night, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 128-110. After a tough loss to the Golden State Warriors in their opener, the Lakers bounced back with a more balanced performance.

Luka Doncic once again led the way, delivering another master class that kept Los Angeles in control for most of the game. The Lakers briefly trailed early but seized momentum before halftime and never looked back.

Behind Doncic’s poise and a strong showing from his supporting cast, Los Angeles finally found the cohesion it had been missing on opening night.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77).Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The 26-year-old guard finished with 49 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, becoming the first player in NBA history to open a season with back-to-back games of 40 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and five or more assists. He also became the first Laker ever to start a season with consecutive 40-point games and only the fourth player in league history to do so, joining Anthony Davis, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

Following the win, Doncic took to Instagram, sharing a carousel of photos from the night

“First 1!,” Doncic captioned the post.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Luka Doncic (@lukadoncic)

On Friday, the five-time All-Star shot 14-of-23 from the floor, made five 3-pointers, and hit 16 of 19 free throws. His 92 points through two games are the most by any Laker to start a season. He has also made 24 of his 28 two-point attempts this season.

While Doncic was the star of the show, he had help from his teammates. Guard Austin Reaves added 25 points (9-of-15 field goals), 11 assists and seven rebounds, while Rui Hachimura chipped in 23 points (10-of-13 field goals) as Los Angeles cruised to a comfortable win.

The performance followed Doncic’s 43-point effort in the season opener against Golden State, where the Lakers fell just short despite his dominance. The Purple and Gold will now head on the road to face the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, hoping to secure consecutive wins for the first time this season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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