(VIDEO) Luka Doncic Erupts for 53 as Lakers Edge Blazers While LeBron James Held to Eight in Cleveland Return

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic scored 53 points and hit a crucial jumper in the lane with 28 seconds left Friday night, lifting the Los Angeles Lakers to a 124-118 NBA Cup victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. On the other side of the country, LeBron James had one of the worst scoring nights of his career in his return to Cleveland.

It was Doncic's 11th career 50-point game and his fourth since joining the Lakers. The win was Los Angeles' fourth straight, and it avenged a 136-129 home loss to Portland on Oct. 27.

The finish was tense. Los Angeles let a 12-point lead late in the game shrink to four before Doncic and Austin Reaves combined for the Lakers' final 10 points to close it out.

A historic stretch

Doncic's run of scoring has few recent parallels. He scored 20 points in the third quarter alone and passed 40 for the sixth time in seven games, a stretch that includes four straight 40-point games and one 37-point night.

He also added five rebounds and five assists, giving him seven consecutive games with at least 35 points, five rebounds, five assists and five 3-pointers.

Reaves finished with 25 points, and Walker Kessler had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Deni Avdija led Portland with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, and Damian Lillard also scored 22. It was only the Blazers' second loss of the season, ending a four-game road trip.

LeBron's rough homecoming

The night was far less kind to James. The Cleveland Cavaliers held him to eight points in a 119-95 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers in an NBA Cup group-stage game.

James, an Akron, Ohio, native, chose to sign with Philadelphia in the offseason rather than return to Cleveland for a third stint. He made 3 of 12 shots, missed all four of his 3-point attempts, and was booed throughout the first half whenever he touched the ball. He left the game with 3:54 remaining.

It was only the 10th single-digit scoring game of James' 24-year regular-season career. His NBA-record streak of 1,297 straight regular-season games in double figures ended last December.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Evan Mobley added 22 as the Cavaliers bounced back from two losses to Oklahoma City. Jaylen Brown scored 20 for the 76ers, who shot 36.5% and went 10 of 40 from 3-point range. Joel Embiid missed all nine of his field goal attempts.

Around the league

In Boston, Jayson Tatum had 34 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Celtics crushed Charlotte 119-80. Boston made 17 of 31 3-pointers in the first half and improved to 2-0 in NBA Cup play.

Victor Wembanyama followed his 52-point, 24-rebound game against Dallas with 30 points and 14 rebounds in San Antonio's 124-109 win over Sacramento. The Spurs improved to 7-2.

In Oklahoma City, Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 35 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 as the Thunder beat Memphis 128-97 for their 16th straight win over the Grizzlies.

Atlanta beat Washington 139-132 behind 28 points from Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Trae Young had 23 points and 10 assists for the Wizards in his first game in Atlanta as a visitor.

Toronto's Alijah Martin scored a career-high 27 points, and RJ Barrett also had 27, as the short-handed Raptors beat Milwaukee 121-107 without Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley.

Cooper Flagg scored 21 points as Dallas beat Utah 112-100, sending the Jazz to their seventh straight loss. Minnesota stayed unbeaten in NBA Cup play with a 115-109 win over New Orleans, led by 26 points from Ayo Dosunmu.