Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic erupted for 52 points in his team's 132-123 road victory against the Utah Jazz on Sunday. 

Head coach JJ Redick praised his side for staying the course and gutting out a win despite trailing by 18 after the first quarter. However, when Doncic plays like that, even overcoming that big of a deficit felt somewhat inevitable. The Slovenian was not letting the Lakers lose. 

Doncic was in inspired form in Salt Lake City, shooting 17-for-30 from the field and 8-for-18 from three-point range. He also converted 10 of 11 free-throw attempts and added eight rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals. 

"When he's in a flow state, he gets into like showman mode," Redick summed up. "He's on stage performing. And that's always really fun to watch."

Doncic's offensive mastery helped the Lakers remain undefeated, improving to 3-0. 

Not all of the Lakers' wins have been pretty, but getting the job done regardless of style is a good sign at this juncture. 

Individually, however, Doncic has been on fire — emerging as an early MVP frontrunner. 

The six-time All-Star is averaging a near triple-double with 34.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8 assists. He only trails unlikely leader Ty Jerome (34.7 points per game for the 3-0 Memphis Grizzlies) in scoring — something you'd figure won't stand the test of an 82-game season. 

Nonetheless, Doncic finding his rhythm early is great for Redick as he continues to integrate several new faces into his rotations following an offseason roster overhaul, which included the departure of LeBron James. 

The early victories are providing the Lakers with a high floor to build on. 

There is not much the Jazz could have done to prevent Doncic from detonating. 

The Lakers weren't going away from him, as signaled by Austin Reaves taking just 12 shots — and still contributing an efficient 29 points (7-for-12 FG, 4-for-5 3PT). 

This was exclusively Doncic's night, however, and he once again paid off the trust put in him. He scored all 13 of his fourth-quarter points in the final 4:06, guiding the Lakers over the finish line. 

Doncic had 25 points at halftime and added 14 in the third quarter, including a buzzer-beating triple that gave Los Angeles a 103-100 lead at the end of the period. 

It was the fourth highest-scoring game of Luka's career. His high is 73 points against the Atlanta Hawks as a Dallas Maverick in 2024. 

Aside from an NBA championship, one of the only things missing from Doncic's illustrious trophy case is an MVP award. 

A 50-piece inside the first three games of the season is not a bad way of getting that campaign started. 

With it, Doncic became the fastest point guard in league history to have ten 50-point games. He now has more of those for the Lakers than Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O'Neal, despite being with the franchise for less than two years.