MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After Austin Reaves carried the Lakers as their solo star all week, Luka Doncic returned Friday to take the baton back with another 40-point performance in Los Angeles’ 117-112 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Doncic, who missed the previous three games with a sprained finger on his left hand and a lower left leg contusion that he thought might keep him out until at least Sunday, flew to Memphis separately to join the team Thursday and went on to pour in a game-high 44 points.

It was Doncic’s third straight 40-point game after scoring 43 on opening night against Golden State followed by 49 against Minnesota, becoming the only player in NBA history other than Wilt Chamberlain to top the 40-point plateau in three straight games to begin his season. (Chamberlain did it twice — seven straight games in 1962-63 and five straight in 1961-62).

“I mean, I feel great,” Doncic said when asked about being included in such rare company with the basketball legend. “But obviously, if we get a win, I feel even better. So that’s the whole point, trying to help the team to win. And sometimes it’s going to be scoring, sometimes other things.”

He did other things, too, leading L.A. with 12 rebounds and six assists as the Lakers fought back from a 15-point second-half deficit to win their first NBA Cup group play game, but it was the scoring that was most impressive — especially because of the other luminaries he joined.

Only Chamberlain, Doncic and Michael Jordan in 1986-87 scored 125 points or more in their first three games to start a season; Doncic has 136.

And, by averaging 45.3 points in his first three games, Doncic became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to average 45 or more in any three-game span.

Doncic was asked if he could become the only player other than Chamberlain to average 40 for a season.

“That’s going to be tough,” Doncic said. “Sometimes they’re going to double me more. Sometimes I won’t be able to score that much. I had I think three or four shots that were crazy shots that I felt like doing, but they were terrible shots. So … I’ve got to work on that. But that’s tough. I don’t know.”

When told that Reaves didn’t think it was crazy, saying after the Lakers’ home win over Minnesota that he thought 40 was within Doncic’s reach, Doncic said with a smile, “Austin’s stupid.”

Reaves averaged 40 points on 50% shooting (41.4% from 3) with 10 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals in the three games that Doncic missed, with LeBron James (sciatica) also sidelined. After Friday’s win, he had more praise for Doncic, and a critique of himself.

“His ability to get us off to hot starts is big for us because, if you come out and he has 15 in the first, we’re going to score, I would assume, 30 [points],” Reaves said of Doncic, who leads the league in first-quarter scoring, averaging 13 points. “Unless everybody else is shooting bricks like I was tonight.”

Reaves started the game 2-for-9 but finished as the Lakers’ second-leading scorer with 21 points.

L.A. also got big contributions from Marcus Smart, who was in the starting lineup after a two-game absence because of a right quad injury and put up 12 points, four assists and two steals; and Jake LaRavia, who had 13 points, five rebounds and three steals against his former team.

Deandre Ayton had nine points on 4-for-6 shooting in the first half but didn’t play after halftime because of what coach JJ Redick called “middle back spasms.” Ayton spent the third quarter in the locker room trying to get loose and said he would have returned to the game in the fourth quarter if called upon, but L.A. was able to hold on without him.

Ayton said he expects to be available when the Lakers host the Miami Heat on Sunday.

That will be another opportunity for Doncic to score 40 and another chance for his teammates to find ways to describe what they are seeing from their teammate.

“Fantasticness,” Smart said, making up his own word for what Doncic is doing this season. “It’s been great to watch.”

The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers entered Friday night just one loss away from elimination.

But a bold move to bring in Sunday’s projected starter, Tyler Glasnow, in the final frame of the ninth inning helped the Dodgers survive.

Glasnow entered Friday’s win-or-go home game with a Toronto Blue Jays runner on second and another on third base. It took Glasnow just three pitches to get three outs to close the game and force a Game 7.

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Two of those outs came after the Dodgers turned what appeared to be a potential game-tying hit into a dramatic, game-ending double play.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to shake up the lineup again for Game 6.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) reacts with catcher Will Smith (16) after the ninth inning for game six of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre on Oct. 31, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Nick Turchiaro/Imagn Images)

After moving from second to third in the order in Wednesday’s Game 5 loss, shortstop Mookie Betts dropped into the cleanup spot Friday against Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman.

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Betts had not hit as low as fourth since the final game of the 2017 American League Division Series against Houston. Game 5 was the first time since 2021 that Betts started but wasn’t in one of the top two spots in Los Angeles’ lineup.

Mookie Betts (50) of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a two-run single against Kevin Gausman (34 ) of the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning in game six of the 2025 World Series at Rogers Center on Oct. 31, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario.   (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Betts entered Game 6 hitting just 3-for-23 with no RBIs or extra-base hits in the World Series, but he made the most of his new spot in the batting order, delivering a two-run single in the third inning.

Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was not quite as sharp as in his Game 2 four-hitter, the first World Series complete game in a decade. He lasted six innings and allowed only a third-inning RBI single by George Springer, who returned after missing two games with an injury to his right side.

After the game, Roberts explained his decision to use Glasnow in relief.  

“This is do or die. You’ve got to leave it all out there and pick up all the pieces,” Roberts told FOX Sports. ” Roki (Sasaki) wasn’t as sharp. I felt right there Glasnow had swing and miss stuff and I just wanted to bet on him.”

Max Scherzer will start Game 7 on Saturday night for the Blue Jays. He also started the last World Series Game 7, getting a no-decision when Washington won the 2019 title over Houston.

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The Dodgers are seeking to become the first team to win consecutive titles since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays hope to end their championship drought by securing their first World Series title since 1993.

Game 7 is scheduled for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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We’re going to Game 7!

In a must-win Game 6 of the 2025 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers delivered. After manager Dave Roberts shook up his lineup, new cleanup hitter Mookie Betts broke out of a series-long slump and starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was excellent again on the mound, forcing the Toronto Blue Jays to a winner-take-all finale on Saturday night.

Here’s how L.A.’s victory went down, with our in-game analysis and postgame takeaways.

Takeaways

Series tied at 3

It was over when …: Enrique Hernandez caught an Andres Gimenez line drive and threw it to Miguel Rojas for a game-ending double play. The Blue Jays had put men on second and third with no one out in the bottom of the ninth off closer Roki Sasaki, and the Dodgers were forced to turn to Tyler Glasnow — who got out of the jam, thanks in part to his defense, to force Game 7 on Saturday night.

Star of Game 6: Toronto made Yoshinobu Yamamoto work a little harder this time, but he still worked six outstanding frames, limiting the Blue Jays to one run and working around traffic several times. Yamamoto is now 4-1 with a 1.56 ERA over five October outings. If that’s it for his postseason run, he’s done his part for the Dodgers and more. This is why L.A. signed him to the biggest contract ever given to a pitcher when he inked it.

The stat that defined the game: In the last 30 years, there have been five players to pitch 15-plus innings in the World Series and allow two runs or fewer: Randy Johnson in 2001, Josh Beckett in 2003, Jon Lester in 2013, Madison Bumgarner in 2014 — and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2025, according to ESPN Research. Each of the previous four saw their team win the World Series.

What it means for the series: Blue Jays manager John Schneider knew he had a game to work with. There was no reason to go all hands on deck, and since the game was well-pitched by both teams, neither bullpen was annihilated by the events of Game 6. This was a risk the Dodgers would have had to take to survive, but thanks to Yamamoto and the clean work from the relievers that followed him, the Dodgers join the Blue Jays in having a staff in good shape for Saturday. Game 7 will be a fascinating chess match from the time the starting pitchers and lineups are announced. If the finale is anything like the different scenes of what has come before it, it’s going to be special. — Bradford Doolittle

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