Luka Doncic scored 42 and Giannis called him one of the best scorers in the game

Luka Doncic scored 42 points with 13 assists and seven rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat 138-117 on Monday night.

It was his fourth 40-plus-point game in his past five outings, and it came on the second night of a back-to-back.

Doncic shot 14-of-24 from the field and 6-of-15 from 3-point range, and the Lakers improved to 6-2.

Miami fell to 2-5, and the game did not stay close after the first half.

The performance produced the quote of the night from the opposing star. Giannis Antetokounmpo called Doncic one of the best scorers to play the game, if not the best.

When a reporter tried to add context, Antetokounmpo cut it off: not right now, of all time, and some people are scared to say that.

Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, but he also had seven turnovers against tight defensive coverage.

That contrast is the game in one line. Miami's best player was productive; Los Angeles' best player was overwhelming.

The Lakers' offense has become a simple proposition: Doncic creates, and everyone else spaces. Against Miami that produced 138 points.

His 13 assists are the part that matters most for the rest of the season. When he is scoring 42 and passing for 13, the defense cannot load up on either.

The supporting cast did its job, and the pace never dropped after the first quarter.

Doncic said afterwards that winning makes the numbers feel better, especially on a back-to-back against a team like Miami.

Miami's problem was structural. The Heat could not keep Doncic out of the paint, and the help that came was a step too late all night.

Antetokounmpo's seven turnovers are a symptom of that. When the primary option has to work that hard to get a shot, possessions end badly.

The Heat have now lost five of seven and are searching for a defensive answer that does not require doubling Doncic at the cost of open 3-pointers.

The schedule does not offer much relief this week.

The Lakers' 6-2 start is their best in several seasons, and it has been built on offense rather than defense.

The question that follows every hot start is whether it survives better opponents. Los Angeles has played a mix of teams, and the Heat are not the test.

The other question is workload. A 42-point night on a back-to-back is the kind of usage that catches up with a player in January.

For now, the Lakers are winning the games in front of them.

The praise from Antetokounmpo will travel further than the box score, because players rarely rank each other that plainly.

It also puts pressure on the Lakers to keep the team around Doncic functional. A superstar having a historic scoring stretch still needs a defense and a bench.

Miami leaves with a loss and a matchup problem it could not solve.

Los Angeles leaves with a 6-2 record and a star who is playing the best basketball of his career.

The Lakers' offense is now a known quantity, and the rest of the league will adjust. Miami tried to stay home on shooters and got punished inside; the next team will try the opposite.

That adjustment is the test for Los Angeles. A team that can only win one way is a regular-season team.

Doncic's workload is the other number to watch. He is playing heavy minutes on back-to-backs, and the Lakers have a long season ahead.

Antetokounmpo's praise will follow him, and so will the expectations that come with it.

Miami's search for a defensive answer continues, and the Heat do not have much time to find it.

The Western Conference is deeper than it was last season, and a 6-2 start is a good start, not a cushion.

The next opponent will try the opposite approach: stay home on the shooters and make Doncic score over length.

That is the adjustment the Lakers have to be ready for, and they have the personnel to make it work.

Miami's next game is against a team with a similar offensive profile, which gives the Heat a chance to fix the coverage.

The Lakers' bench minutes remain the soft spot, and a long season will expose them.

Los Angeles plays again on Wednesday.

The Lakers' 6-2 start is their best in several seasons, and the schedule has been friendly.

Miami's 2-5 record understates how close several of those losses have been.

Los Angeles' next three games are against teams with winning records.

Miami's defensive options are limited without a rim protector, which is why the paint stayed open.

Doncic's rebounding has been a quiet part of the start; he grabbed seven in this game.

The Lakers' next opponent will try to make Doncic a passer in the fourth quarter, which is the real test of the offense.

The Heat host their next game on Wednesday.