Luka Doncic is making more history with the Los Angeles Lakers as he became the first player to put up a historic stat line in purple and gold.
The Los Angeles Lakers may not have played their best on Thursday night in Utah, but they managed to come away with a 143-135 victory over the Jazz.
Luka Doncic had his third triple double of the season, finishing with 45 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds. He also added five steals.
Luka became the first player in Lakers history to put up 45+ points, 10+ assists, and 5+ steals. He also surpassed Anthony Davis in all-time 45+ point games as a member of the Lakers. Thursday night marked the fourth time Luka has scored 45 points or more in purple and gold.
After the game, Luka mentioned that the Lakers got stops in the fourth quarter and he made two threes in a row, which was a miracle.
LeBron James went 0-5 from beyond the arc, but it didn't lessen his impact on the game as he had 28 points, ten assists, and seven rebounds.
Luka and LeBron combined for just three turnovers. They also made the most of their free throws, going 25-29 (13-16 for Luka, 12-13 for LeBron) at the charity stripe.
Supporting Cast Shines
While LeBron and Luka did their part, the Lakers supporting cast had a big role in the victory.
Jaxson Had had 16 points, going a perfect 7-7 from the field. Luka praised his big man for his ability to get behind the defense, saying they have a special connection.
Rui Hachimura had 13 points on 6-10 shooting, and Marcus Smart went 5-9 from three, finishing with 17 points.
The Lakers bench was led by Jake LaRavia, who had 12 points.
Lakers Defense Shows Up In The Second Half
The Lakers got off to a slow start, giving up 41 points in the first quarter as the Jazz jumped out to a 41-32 lead after 12 minutes.
The offense turned it up in the second quarter, scoring 41 points, but the defense continued to bleed points as the Jazz kept pace with 37 points of their own.
Utah shot 65% from the floor in the first half and knocked down ten threes to lead 78-73 at halftime.
The Lakers' defense tightened up in the second half, holding Utah to under 30 points in each quarter while the offense stayed in rhythm, particularly in the fourth quarter to the tune of 41 points.
Though the Los Angeles defense was better in the second half, they still allowed Utah to shoot 49% from three and put the Jazz on the line to the tune of 47 free throws. Utah knocking down only 31 free throws, a 66% success rate, helped the Lakers secure the victory.