Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Luka Dončić continues to light up the scoreboard on a nightly basis during his first full season with his new team while strengthening his case to win his first NBA MVP award. And on Thursday night, on the road against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, the Slovenian import was on fire once again. He set a record, dishing out 14 assists, grabbed 11 rebounds, and five steals, finishing with a remarkable 45-point triple-double that led his team to its 19th win of the 2025-26 campaign.
Dončić Joins Michael Jordan and Cade Cunningham in Elite Category
As a result of the incredible performance, Dončić joins current Detroit Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham and NBA legend Michael Jordan as the only two players in NBA history to have 40-point triple-doubles with five or more steals, according to Underdog’s NBA X account.
40-point triple-doubles with 5+ STL in NBA history:
Luka Doncic (tonight)
Cade Cunningham (earlier this season)
Michael Jordan pic.twitter.com/XabkYoQ7cf— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) December 19, 2025
Any time an NBA star is mentioned in the same breath as arguably the greatest player of all time, it’s a big deal, and it might not be the last time Dončić joins Jordan in an elite scoring category like this.
The Lakers also got a strong performance from LeBron James, who finished with 28 points and 10 assists as Los Angeles pulled away with a 41-29 fourth quarter to secure a 143-135 road win. Utah was led by Keyonte George’s 34 points, with rookie Ace Bailey adding 19, and the Jazz took a 78-73 lead into halftime after a high-scoring first half.
Along with Dončić having a good shot at winning the scoring title and potentially winning his first NBA MVP award, the Lakers are looking more and more like a legitimate title contender in the Western Conference, with the team now sporting a record of 19-7, which has them tied for third place in the West with Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs.
However, the Lakers struggle defensively, which was pretty glaring on Thursday against the Jazz, as they gave up a season-high 78 first-half points to George and company. The 135 points given up to the Jazz were also a season-high total and not ideal, even though the Lakers were able to come away with the win on the road.
The Lakers will now have two more games on the road before hosting the Houston Rockets, led by Kevin Durant, at Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day next week. Dončić and company will take on Kawhi Leonard’s Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome on Saturday, followed by a matchup with the Phoenix Suns at the Mortgage Matchup Center on Tuesday.
