The Los Angeles Lakers moved to 3-0 on the season with a 132-123 road win over the Utah Jazz that included a stunning 52-point game from Luka Doncic. Doncic tied Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with his monumental feat, eliciting a take from ESPN analyst and former NBA player Kendrick Perkins.
The discussion was shown on X as Perkins shared his quick take and Doncic hit him back with a quick response.
The Lakers superstar Doncic made 17-of-30 field goals and added 10 assists along with eight rebounds on a day when Austin Reaves also went off to the tune of 29 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
Starting center Walker Kessler played 28 minutes and grabbed eight rebounds on a night when he was booed in his return to the Utah Jazz's arena, the legendary Delta Center. Forward Matisse Thybulle added added 11 points for the Lakers as did Ziaire Williams, while Collin Sexton chipped in 13 off the bench.
The Lakers are looking like a team to be reckoned with as they've given their Slovenian superstar a blank canvas to paint on and a roster of teammates that seems to fit his skillset well. Tuesday, October 27 will bring the team's next game against the Portland Trail Blazers, a chance for Doncic to go toe-to-toe with a team full of hungry players who also crave both regular season and playoff success.
Doncic's playful attitude may rub some players the wrong way, namely Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, but it works for him and has for many years, and is something he doesn't seem willing to give up anytime soon.