The Los Angeles Lakers took care of business against the Utah Jazz on Thursday.
The 17-time NBA champions overcame an early 10-point deficit to secure a 143-135 victory and improve to 19-7 on the year.
Unsurprisingly, Luka Doncic, who’s been the main attraction in Los Angeles all year, headlined the Lakers’ eight-point victory. The former Dallas Mavericks star recorded 45 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds in 40 minutes.
After the contest, the popular X/Twitter account ‘Real Sports’ revealed that Doncic had just broken a record previously held by ex-Lakers standout forward Anthony Davis.
“Luka Doncic passes Anthony Davis in all-time 45-point games in Lakers history,” The stats-based account stated.
Anyone familiar with Doncic’s dominance on the hardwood could have seen this coming from a mile away.
Los Angeles’ high-powered offense runs through Doncic when he’s on the hardwood, enabling him to find a rhythm early and often.
Whether dissecting defenses in pick-and-roll situations or lulling opponents to sleep with his nonchalant handle before accelerating to his favorite spots on the floor, Doncic frequently finds ways to make life miserable for the opposition.
Doncic is averaging 34.7 points, 8.8 assists, and 8.7 rebounds per game this season while shooting 46.0% from the field and 32.4% from three (his perimeter shooting prediction will improve with time).
As long as the 26-year-old continues to embrace his responsibilities as the Lakers’ No. 1 scoring option, the wins will keep mounting.
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