Luka Doncic Scores 52 as Lakers Rally From 18 Down to Beat Jazz 132-123
Doncic scored 52 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds as Los Angeles erased an 18-point deficit in Salt Lake City and improved to 3-0, its third straight win to start the season.
Luka Doncic scored 52 points and added 10 assists and eight rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 132-123 on Sunday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The win moved Los Angeles to 3-0, its third straight win to start the season.
Utah led 47-29 after the first quarter and led by as many as 18 points, but Los Angeles cut the gap to three points by halftime. Doncic had 39 points through three quarters, then scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, all of them in the final 4 minutes and 6 seconds of the game.
Late three-pointers settle the game
Doncic hit two three-pointers in a span of 40 seconds late in the fourth quarter to give Los Angeles a 127-121 lead with 1 minute and 42 seconds left. The second of those shots took him to 50 points. He finished 17 of 30 from the field, 8 of 18 from three-point range and 10 of 11 from the free-throw line.
Austin Reaves added 29 points for Los Angeles. The two combined to make 21 of 24 free throws. For Utah, Lauri Markkanen scored 28 points, Keyonte George had 24 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, and Ace Bailey had 17 points and 12 rebounds.
A 10th career 50-point game
The game was the 10th time Doncic has scored 50 or more points in a regular-season game. That tied him with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the 11th most 50-point games in NBA history, according to USA Today, and moved him past Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who each have nine.
“When he’s in the flow state, he gets into the showman mode,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “He’s on stage performing and that’s always fun to watch.”
Reporting based on coverage by USA Today, the New York Post and Deadspin.
