SACRAMENTO — It didn’t come via the hot start from Luka Dončić that’s become customary to start the season.

But the Slovenian superstar continued his dominant run to open 2026-27 Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center, recording his third straight 40-point game in the Lakers’ 116-103 win over the Kings.

Dončić finished with 40 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, propelling the 7-2 Lakers to another victory.

As coach JJ Redick mentioned earlier in the week, the offensive rhythm superstar guard continues to be loud. 

Almost as loud as the cowbells ringing throughout the Kings home arena. 

Dončić’s prolific scoring wasn’t as efficient as the standard he set for himself to start the season. 

He shot 11 of 23 from the field and 6 of 13 on 3-pointers (12 of 13 on free throws).

But he made the most noise when he scored 11 straight points, including three straight 3s, late in the second quarter to put the Lakers up 57-48 with just over 2 ½ minutes left in the half. 

The Lakers led for the remainder of the game after the team’s exchanged leads a few times in the first half.

With his performance against the Kings, Dončić became the first player in NBA history to record six consecutive games with 35-plus points, five-plus rebounds, five-plus assists and five-plus 3-pointers.

Austin Reaves added 21 points and four assists. Walker Kessler recorded 15 points, eight rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals, while Ziaire Williams and Collin Sexton each scored 10 points off the bench.