LA Lakers star Luka Doncic delivered a masterclass on Friday, even against Minnesota Timberwolves defensive ace Jaden McDaniels. The former Dallas Mavericks point guard scored 49 points on 14-for-23 shooting, including 5-for-12 from deep, fueling the Lakers to a 128-110 win.Doncic’s one-sided performance against McDaniels prompted Lakers insider Dan Woike to tweet:“It's like Jaden McDaniels traded him or something.”Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, unsurprisingly, put McDaniels, his best defender, on Doncic. The Slovenian was unfazed against the 6-foot-9 forward who often stifles opponents with his length, mobility, anticipation and defensive instincts. Doncic dropped 21 points in the first quarter to signal the beatdown.When the Timberwolves sent double teams, Doncic gladly dissected their defense with well-timed passes. Luka Legend tallied eight assists, but he could have gotten more had some of his teammates been more efficient with their shots.Luka Doncic kept going after Jaden McDaniels every time he had the chance. When the third quarter rolled in, Finch had to take out his best defender after McDaniels committed his fourth foul, three of which were against Doncic.Without McDaniels, Finch changed his defensive scheme. He used a switch-heavy defense by having Anthony Edwards, Naz Reid, Julius Randle, Jaylen Clark and Terrence Shannon Jr. on the floor. The ploy limited Doncic to six points, but the superstar point guard also dished out four assists.Mavericks GM Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers for Anthony Davis in February. Against the Timberwolves, it looked like it was McDaniels who sent Doncic packing after the Slovenian thoroughly dominated him.Luka Doncic is off to a sizzling start to 2025-26 NBA seasonLuka Doncic caused a stir on social media when he appeared on the cover of Men’s Health in July looking ripped. After the Mavericks traded him because of his alleged lack of effort to stay fit and healthy, Doncic proved his doubters wrong.The offseason work to lose weight and gain strength and speed has paid dividends. Following an impressive EuroBasket campaign with Slovenia, Doncic hasn’t slowed down.Luka Doncic opened the 2025-26 season with 43 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and one block against the Warriors on Tuesday. Doncic followed it up with a 49-point, 11-rebound and eight-assist night against Jaden McDaniels and the Timberwolves.The back-to-back jaw-dropping performances pushed Doncic into the history books. He became the first NBA player with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the first two games of the season.