The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a gritty road win over the Utah Jazz last night, clawing back from a fourth-quarter deficit in a high-scoring affair. It was the kind of game that tests a team’s mettle-and the Lakers passed with flying colors. The win keeps them neck-and-neck with the San Antonio Spurs for third place in the Western Conference standings, as the Spurs handled business against the Wizards.
And once again, it was Luka Dončić who lit the fuse.
Dončić delivered a monster performance: 45 points on 14-of-28 shooting, 11 rebounds, 14 assists, and five steals. That’s not just a triple-double-it’s a statistical masterpiece.
Only one other player this season, Cade Cunningham, has posted a 45-point triple-double with five steals. Luka’s doing things that don’t just fill the box score-they rewrite it.
Even so, Luka wasn’t entirely satisfied with his night. Despite the gaudy numbers, he finished with a -5 in the plus/minus column and said postgame that he still sees room for improvement.
“I think, honestly, I could do some more,” he said. “But I think that one turnover is the best, stat-wise, on the stat sheet.
We had seven turnovers, which is impressive for us, and we won the game, and in the end, that’s what matters. But I think we locked in a lot in the second half.
We did a great job.”
That one turnover? It matters more than it might seem.
The Lakers have been a top-tier offensive team this season-currently sixth in offensive rating-but turnovers have been a soft spot. They’re coughing it up 15.1 times per game, more than 17 other teams.
And Luka, as the engine of the offense, has been at the center of that storm, leading the league with 4.2 turnovers per game.
It’s understandable, of course. The ball lives in his hands, and with that kind of usage comes risk.
But cutting down on those mistakes is clearly a focus for both him and the team. That’s why a one-turnover night in a high-usage, high-leverage game stands out.
Before the game, in an interview with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Luka reflected on his season so far. Despite scoring at a career-best rate, he doesn’t think this is the best basketball he’s played.
“I feel like I can play better a lot of nights,” he said. “I don’t know if this is the best basketball I’m playing just because of points. I feel like I can do way more stuff.”
He pointed to defense and turnovers as areas where he still wants to grow. And while the defense has often been the biggest question mark surrounding both Luka and the Lakers as a whole, the numbers in crunch time tell a different story.
With last night’s win, the Lakers are now a perfect 10-0 in clutch games-defined by the NBA as any contest within five points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. That’s the best mark in the league.
The next closest? The 25-2 Thunder, who are 9-2 in those moments.
Even more surprising? The Lakers have been playing elite defense in the clutch.
Their 93.6 defensive rating in those situations isn’t just good-it’s the best in the NBA. Yes, better than OKC.
Better than anyone. It’s a small sample size, sure, but it’s a strong counterpoint to the narrative that this team can’t defend when it matters.
So, here’s the bottom line: Luka Dončić is playing MVP-caliber basketball, even while insisting he hasn’t hit his ceiling. The Lakers are 19-7, winning close games, and showing signs of a team that’s learning how to close out under pressure. If Luka really does find another gear-and he just might-then the rest of the league better brace itself.