Dončić Drops 52 as Lakers Erase 18-Point Deficit to Beat Jazz 132–123 — What Turned the Game

October 26, 2026 | NBA — Final: Los Angeles Lakers 132, Utah Jazz 123 (played Sunday, October 25, at Delta Center, Salt Lake City).

Luka Dončić delivered the first 50-point performance of the young NBA season, scoring 52 as the Lakers overturned an 18-point deficit to defeat the Jazz 132–123. Los Angeles improved to 3–0, but the result was far from a comfortable start-to-finish win.

Watch: Lakers–Jazz game highlights (October 25)

Verified exact-event video: Watch CBS Sports’ Lakers–Jazz October 25 highlights. CBS Sports identifies the clip as highlights from this specific game. The video is provided as an external broadcaster link rather than an embedded player because a matching authorized YouTube upload, embedding rights and regional playback could not all be independently confirmed. The clip is not hosted by Tectonics Media Publications.

Video context: Watch for the momentum swing after Utah’s 47–29 first quarter and Dončić’s late three-point shooting. A brief highlight package illustrates key sequences but cannot, on its own, establish every possession-level cause of the comeback.

From an 18-point hole to a halftime lead

Utah opened at a startling pace, leading 47–29 after one quarter. Los Angeles answered with a 45-point second period, reaching halftime ahead 74–71. That 16-point swing in the second-quarter scoring column mattered more than the early scoreboard shock: it showed the Lakers could generate enough offense to recover without waiting for Utah to collapse completely.

Dončić finished with 52 points, 10 assists and eight made three-pointers. Austin Reaves supplied 29 points. Utah’s Lauri Markkanen scored 28, with Keyonte George contributing 24 points and 10 assists. The Jazz were competitive long after surrendering their first-quarter advantage, which is why the final nine-point margin understates the tension of the closing minutes.

The decisive stretch: two threes and a six-point cushion

The most revealing sequence came late. With the teams still close, Los Angeles produced a 14–5 run. Dončić hit consecutive three-pointers to put the Lakers ahead 127–121 with 1:42 remaining, according to the Associated Press game account. Those shots did more than extend the lead: they changed Utah’s remaining possessions from opportunities to protect a narrow advantage into urgent attempts to recover six points.

The takeaway is not simply that a superstar scored 52. Los Angeles survived a disastrous opening quarter, found a second-quarter response and still had a reliable late-game shot creator when Utah kept pressing. The counterpoint is equally important: allowing 47 first-quarter points and falling behind by 18 are warning signs, not evidence of a sustainable formula. Three wins from three games make a promising start, not a season-long verdict.

What comes next

The Lakers are scheduled to host Portland on Tuesday, October 27, while Utah hosts Memphis on Monday, October 26. The Lakers’ next test is whether they can generate the same offensive quality without needing another extraordinary Dončić rescue act.

Sources and verification

Los Angeles Lakers / NBA official game box score — October 25 final score and official player totals.
Associated Press game recap via CBS Sports — late-game sequence, opponent contributions and game context.
Reuters, October 26 — independent confirmation of the final result and 18-point comeback.
CBS Sports exact-game highlights — broadcaster-hosted watch link; playback and regional access are subject to broadcaster restrictions.

Featured-image credit: Patrick Schöpflin / Unsplash. Illustrative basketball photograph, not footage or a photograph of this Lakers–Jazz game.

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