The Los Angeles Lakers survived their first road game of the 2026-27 season, defeating the Utah Jazz, 132-123. 

The Lakers handled their first test of adversity in Sunday's contest and handled it well. Los Angeles came back from an 18-point deficit, largely thanks to Luka Doncic. 

Doncic's first two games were solid but far from the performances we've become accustomed to seeing from the six-time All-NBA guard. 

However, Doncic showed on Sunday why he is among the best players in the world. The 27-year-old superstar had the best game of the season by far. 

Magic Johnson Called Luka Doncic's Performance 'Unstoppable'

Doncic almost single-handedly led the Lakers to the win, and after the game, legend Magic Johnson was in awe of the superstar's performance. 

"Luka Doncic was just unstoppable today," Johnson said. 

Doncic showed his full prowess against the Jazz, scoring 52 points on 17-of-30 shooting, plus eight rebounds, 10 assists and two steals in 38 minutes. 

After recording a career-high 11 turnovers on Friday against the Clippers, Doncic had only four turnovers on Sunday. The Lakers superstar was visibly upset after the Clippers game and immediately walked off the court after the final buzzer sounded. 

However, that was far from the case in Sunday's contest. 

Luka Doncic is Still Shaking Off Rust After Lengthy Injury Recovery

The first two games of the season were far from Doncic's usual performance, and he acknowledged that was due to the rust he had to shake off. 

“I’m still getting there honestly,” Doncic said of his rhythm. 

“This is the first time I didn’t play basketball in six or seven months, which is a long time. So, I’m not used to it. So, I think I’m still getting there. But you know, today was a little bit better.”

Doncic's 52-point game against the Jazz was the most points he's scored since his 60-point game against the Miami Heat on March 19. 

A few weeks later, he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring injury that kept him out for the entire Lakers playoff run. 

Recovering from the injury forced Doncic to stay away from basketball for an extended period. However, toward the end of his recovery, he was no longer dealing with any restrictions and now appears to be the healthiest he's been since suffering the injury.

The Lakers will look to improve to 4-0 when they take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night. 

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