In Salt Lake City, Doncic tore apart the Utah Jazz with 45 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds in a 143-135 Lakers win that showcased his full command of the offense. He added five steals and just one turnover, producing one of the cleanest high-usage performances the league has seen from a perimeter star.

That combination of 45 points, a triple-double, and five steals has been achieved by only one other player since steals became an official statistic, placing Doncic’s night in an almost singular tier. It also marked his first 40-point triple-double in purple and gold and further extended his growing catalog of outrageous box scores after previous feats like his 60-point, 21-rebound, 10-assist explosion with Dallas.

Joining exclusive triple-double company

Doncic’s eruption against Utah was the 10th 40-point triple-double of his career, a benchmark only James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Oscar Robertson had previously reached. By layering five steals onto that production, he became just the second player ever to pair a 45-point triple-double with that level of defensive disruption.

The performance also continued an early-season pattern. Doncic has piled up multiple triple-doubles for Los Angeles while carrying one of the heaviest usage loads in the league, yet still maintaining elite scoring efficiency. For the Lakers, his ability to both initiate offense and close games has quickly turned him into the primary engine of a group that already features LeBron James.

Lakers lore and evolving legacy

With this masterpiece, Doncic became the first Laker since Magic Johnson more than four decades ago to record a 40-point triple-double, tapping directly into the franchise’s storied tradition of Showtime playmaking. He has also already set new franchise marks for high-scoring double-doubles by a point guard, nudging past legends such as Johnson and Jerry West in specific statistical categories.

Yet his reaction remained understated, insisting that the low turnover count meant as much as the gaudy scoring and rebounding totals. That blend of production and poise is rapidly reshaping his legacy, moving Doncic from statistical marvel to a player whose most historic nights now come while wearing one of basketball’s most scrutinized jerseys.