Luka Doncic scored a season-high 52 points on Sunday night, powering the Los Angeles Lakers back from an 18-point deficit to defeat the Utah Jazz 132-123 at the Delta Center. The victory secured a perfect 3-0 start to the season for Los Angeles.
Lauri Markkanen contributed 12 points in the opening frame, while Ace Bailey added 15 points and seven boards, overwhelming the visiting defense and establishing a 47-29 advantage as Sunday evening in Salt Lake City began with the Utah Jazz playing some of their best basketball of the young season. The young roster caught fire early, putting up a staggering 47 points in the first quarter alone to build an 18-point lead.
Utah dominated the glass overall during the contest, grabbing 51 total rebounds to Los Angeles’s 30, including a 19-to-4 edge in offensive boards that generated 32 second-chance points. Keyonte George recorded 24 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists for the home side, while Bailey finished with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, grabbing six on the offensive glass. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 points with four 3-pointers.
Final Stats 📊Luka: 52 pts, 8 reb, 10 astAR: 29 pts, 4 ast, 2 blkCollin: 13 pts, 2 rebMatisse: 11 pts, 3 stlZiaire: 11 pts, 2 rebMamu: 9 pts, 3 reb pic.twitter.com/m0sBsvkb97
Austin Reaves Revives the Lakers Offense
Austin Reaves took over the second quarter, pouring in 15 points to resurrect the Lakers’ offense, which Austin Reaves took over the second quarter. While Reaves was held scoreless in the opening period, his aggressive play as a dribble-drive threat helped erase the deficit before halftime. Lakers coach JJ Redick praised the guard’s steady play, calling him Mr. Consistency
. Reaves finished the night with 29 points, combining with Doncic to shoot 21-of-24 from the free-throw line.
Additional support off the bench came from 11 points each from Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle. As the second quarter wound down, Doncic completed the comeback. He stripped the ball from Bailey near the paint, pulled up for a step-back three-pointer at the buzzer, and sent Los Angeles into the locker room with a 74-71 lead.
Luka Doncic Closes Out the Comeback
Utah kept pace through a team effort that saw three players score 20 or more points, though George also committed a team-high six turnovers as the lead initiator, as the second half settled into a competitive battle before tightening in the final minutes.
The Slovenian superstar ignited a decisive 14-5 run with back-to-back three-pointers, giving Los Angeles a 127-121 lead with 1:42 remaining. He finished the night with 52 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds, shooting 17-of-30 from the field and hitting eight triples to secure his fourth career 50-point, 10-assist game.
His efficiency, it’s off the roof. And just to have him next to me leading this team, it’s awesome.
Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers guard, via ESPN
Walker Kessler Returns to Utah
Sunday also marked the long-awaited homecoming for Walker Kessler, who played his first game back in Salt Lake City since being sent to the Lakers in a July sign-and-trade deal. Jazz coach Will Hardy declined to treat the matchup as a revenge game. The Delta Center featured no tribute video on the big screen.
Kessler battled foul trouble throughout the night, playing 28 minutes and recording two points and seven rebounds. Despite a quiet stat line, Doncic offered reassurance to his new teammate after the final buzzer.
🟣🟣🟣🟣 pic.twitter.com/h21U04RWtu
Obviously it wasn’t his best game, but we won the game and he … had two fantastic first games, which was awesome. So I told him, we told him … just move on. We won this game, we got your back, and just move on to the next game.
Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers guard, via ESPN
As Doncic sealed the victory from the free-throw line in the final seconds, MVP chants echoed through the Delta Center. The win moves the Lakers to 3-0 on the young season, marking only the second time in the past 10 years that the franchise has opened with three consecutive victories. Los Angeles returns home to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, while Utah prepares for a quick turnaround hosting the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Utah Jazz had an offensive rating of 177 in the first quarter.Pretty good, I'd say. 👍
More on Luka Doncic
Los Angeles shot 66.7% from the field and 60% from three in the second quarter. It was mainly the Austin Reaves show. He scored 15 in the 2Q.Partly hot shooting, and partly poor defense. Utah needs to pick it up on that end. That first quarter of offense isn't sustainable.
Ended 29-29 in the third quarter. Make-or-break 4Q here.
🏀 SUNDAY'S FINAL SCORES 🏀Luka Dončić posts the highest-scoring game of the season and his 10th career 50-PT game in the @Lakers 3rd consecutive win to open 2026-27!Austin Reaves: 29 PTS, 4 3PM, 2 BLKMatisse Thybulle: 11 PTS, 3 3PM, 3 STL pic.twitter.com/CzA7vGGStQ
LUKA JUST ERUPTED FOR 52 POINTS 🚨🪄 52 PTS🪄 8 REB🪄 10 AST🪄 2 STL🪄 8 3PM🪄 LAKERS ROAD WINHe becomes the first player in @Lakers franchise history to record 50+ PTS, 10+ AST, 5+ REB, and 5+ 3PM in a single game! pic.twitter.com/mfUAJSEJYB