Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers, Doncic triple-double, stats, historic game, JJ Redick, Luka Doncic defense, LeBron James, Utah Jazz, Lakers win
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Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a play during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on December 18, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Los Angeles Lakers struck gold by adding Luka Doncic in the now-historic trade,which sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, and so far this season, the Slovenian hasn’t slowed down a bit, but that still doesn’t mean he’s happy withthe performances.
Most recently, in the Lakers’ win over the Utah Jazz, Doncic finished with 45 points, 11 rebounds, 14 assists, and five steals, but it still wasn’t enough for him to leave the arena satisfied.
“I think, honestly, I could do so much more,” Doncic said after the eight-point win in Utah. “But I think that one turnover is the best stat-wise on this stat sheet. We had seven turnovers, which is impressive for us and we won the game.”
Doncic’s co-star, LeBron James, had strong words of encouragement for his teammate, as he ended the game with his tenth 40-point triple-double, one of only a few playersto ever hit that mark. But still, the 2024 NBA Finals runner-up still poked wholes in his own performance, specifically on defense.
Luka Doncic’s 45-Point Triple-Double
Through the first eight seasons of his career, Doncic, whetherit be in Dallas or Los Angeles, has proven to be one of the most impactful offensive players in NBA history. He is currently leading the league in points, averaging 35.2 per night, but that isn’t enoughfor him tobe satisfied, especially after the Lakers’ last game against the Jazz.
Per The Athletic, Doncic’sstatline made him only the second player in Lakers history tohit those marks, as Elgin Baylor did it twice during his time with the team in the 1960s. He also joined James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Oscar Robertson to have a 40-point triple-double at least ten times, and is now on a list with Cade Cunningham as the only players to do it with at least five steals.
Dave McMenamin
Per @ESPNInsights:
Players with a 45-point triple-double and 5 steals in a game since steals became official in 1973-74:
Luka Doncic tonight
Cade Cunningham on Nov. 10, 2025 (in OT)
“It’s Luka,” James said of Doncic after his historic performance. “Luka Magic,’ so there’s no surprise. He’s just so damn good. It’s ridiculous.”
Along with leading the league in scoring, Doncic is third in assists at 9.1 per game and 18th in rebounds with an average of 8.8 per game. Despite having to share the ball with James and Austin Reaves, who has been out the last few games, Doncic is putting up one of the best individual season stat lines in recent memory.
StatMuse
Luka Doncic in Utah:
45 PTS 10 REB 14 AST (1 TOV) 5 STL
Joins Elgin Baylor as the only players in franchise history with a 45-point triple-double.
There have been times this season when he’s put up jaw-dropping numbers that haven’t contributed to winning, but for the most part, Doncic filling up the statsheet has led to good outcomes for Los Angeles.
Luka And The Lakers Struggles On Defense
But still, Doncic remains critical of his performance on the other side of the court. In a recent meeting between him and Lakers head coach JJ Redick, the star took accountability for his struggles on defense.
“We talked about a lot, not just that, but he was right. You got to get a little bit more, especially from the star players,” Doncic said, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “So that’s on us. That’s on me. And we just got to give more, especially at the start the game. We got to start the game better.”
Defense has been an overarching issue for the Lakers as a whole, not just with Doncic, as they rank near the bottom of the league in defensive rating.Both the star player and coach were on the same pageabout the team’s struggles at that end of the floor,andknow there is still room for improvement.
“[He had] stretches of playing excellent, being engaged and executing our stuff defensively, and then stretches where he is not as engaged and isn’t executing our stuff defensively,” Redick said.
Los Angeles gave up 135 points to the lottery-bound Jazz, and though it wasn’t a highlight night defensively, Redick gave kudos to his role players for being the difference makers on that side of the ball.
“Thought our defense was much better in the second half,” Redick said postgame. “It wasn’t perfect; it was much better. The guys that came off the bench — (Jarred Vanderbilt), Maxi (Kleber), and Jake (LaRavia) — in the second half really changed the game for us with their multiple efforts.”
With the offensive firepower, defense will always be an issuefor the Lakers to some extent. But when a team has Doncic, James, and Reaves, it reallyonly comes down to outscoring their opponent, which so far hasn’t been too hard for Los Angeles.