Doncic carries Lakers with 45-point triple-double

SALT LAKE CITY — After posting a stat line reached by only one other player in NBA history in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 143-135 win over the Utah Jazz on Thursday, Luka Doncic hardly sounded impressed with himself.

«I think, honestly, I could do so much more,» Doncic said after totaling 45 points, 14 assists, 11 rebounds, 5 steals and only 1 turnover. «But I think that one turnover is the best stat-wise on this stat sheet. We had seven turnovers, which is impressive for us and we won the game.»

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham became the first player to record a 45-point triple-double with five steals (since the league started officially recording steals in 1973-74) in an overtime win against the Washington Wizards last month.

It was Doncic’s 10th career 40-point triple-double, joining James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson as the only players to achieve the feat 10 or more times. And he became the first Laker to have a 40-point triple-double since Magic Johnson more than 40 years ago (March 28, 1981, also against Utah).

Yet with Doncic and the Lakers as a team setting season-low marks for turnovers, it allowed L.A.’s struggling defense to shore up at least one area of the game — the Lakers allowed the Jazz to score only nine fast-break points, which has been one of many problem areas for the team.

Lakers coach JJ Redick agreed with Doncic’s assessment.

«[He had] stretches of playing excellent, being engaged and executing our stuff defensively, and then stretches where he is not as engaged and isn’t executing our stuff defensively,» Redick said. «But I would say that’s for everybody. I think the biggest thing, he played certainly well enough to lead us to a win. Him and LeBron [James], with 24 assists and three turnovers [combined].»

James finished with 28 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds and was able to stay in the game after a scary collision with Utah rookie Walter Clayton Jr. in the first half.

Clayton ran into the inside of James’ left knee — the same knee in which James suffered an MCL sprain in the closeout game of L.A.’s first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves — and it caused the 23-year veteran to fall to the court and stay there for an extended period as teammates came to check on him with 7:52 left in the second quarter.

«Just a little bolt to the knee, like a sharp pain to the knee,» James said afterward. «Got kneed on the inside, like the medial side, of the knee. And just kind of wanted to take my time a little bit as it calmed down … or hoping it calmed down.

«I told Mike [Mancias], my trainer, I said, ‘We dodged a bullet there.'»

And on a night when the Houston Rockets lost to the New Orleans Pelicans and the Pistons lost to the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers dodged an upset bid by the Jazz, improving to 10-0 in clutch-situation games this season.

L.A. improved to 19-7, the third-best start through 26 games in the eight seasons that James has played for the Lakers.

Which is in part perhaps why James was more generous with his praise of Doncic — especially on a night when L.A. was down two starters in Austin Reaves (calf) and Deandre Ayton (elbow) — than Doncic was to himself.

«It’s Luka,» James said. «‘Luka Magic,’ so there’s no surprise. He’s just so damn good. It’s ridiculous.»