Luka Dončić shouldered the blame for Deandre Ayton only getting seven field-goal attempts in the Los Angeles Lakers' 119-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

Lakers star Luka Dončić dropped 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in a season-opening loss. Late in the game, he felt a tweak in his groin.

JJ Redick provided a positive update on Luka Dončić’s healthy but a slightly negative one on Austin Reaves’ on Thursday.

Luka joins Bryant, Baylor in rare Lakers company after 43-point opener originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Warriors beat the Lakers 119-109 on opening night as Golden State overcame a heroic performance by Luka Dončić in Los Angeles. Stephen Curry put the game away with a spectacularly deep three-pointer in the final minute of the game as the Warriors got off to a 1-0 start on the season.

While LeBron James is out, it has become painfully clear that Luka Doncic is going to have to play out of this world for the Lakers to have a chance.

Luka Dončić stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 43 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and a block on Tuesday, and his Lakers still lost to the Warriors, 119-109, on opening night as Dončić finished as a minus-eight for the game.

Luka Dončić posted a monster line in the Lakers' opener with LeBron James on the bench. But it wasn't enough to beat the Warriors.

Dončić is still just 26 years old, but he understands the responsibilities inherent in his role as the centerpiece of the Lakers’ next era, and he’s trying to meet them. He played a role in improving the Lakers’ roster during the summer by lobbying Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart to join him.

The Los Angeles Lakers might have come up short in their season-opening loss to the Golden State Warriors, but one thing that is for sure is that Luka Doncic is already is set for perhaps his best season yet.