Dončić scores 52 as the Lakers beat the Jazz 132-123

Luka Dončić buried a 26-foot three with 4.7 seconds left in the second quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers went to the break in front. They had been 18 points down an hour before. Dončić finished with 52 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, and the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 132-123 on Sunday at Delta Center.

Los Angeles is 3-0. Utah is 1-2.

Eighteen down after one

Utah scored 47 points in the first quarter and led 47-29 at the buzzer, its biggest lead of the night. Ace Bailey scored 15 of them, on six shots from inside the arc and a 25-foot three.

Keyonte George set up seven baskets in that quarter: a dunk and a floater for Lauri Markkanen, three for Bailey, a layup for Jaren Jackson Jr. and a running dunk for Jaxson Hayes. Markkanen closed the quarter with a 26-foot bank shot as the clock ran out.

Then the game turned over. Los Angeles won the second quarter 45-24.

Austin Reaves scored 15 points in it: two free throws, a four-foot turnaround, three-pointers from 24, 25 and 25 feet, and two more free throws. Sandro Mamukelashvili came off the bench and scored nine in two minutes. Dončić did the rest, a 10-foot pull-up at 2:22, a fade away and a free throw to tie it at 71, and the three at the horn for 74-71.

Tied at 77, and again at 116

The third quarter finished level at 29-29. The score was tied at 77 with 9:56 left in it, and the lead changed hands six times over the night. Dončić ended the quarter the way he ended the second, with a 26-foot step-back at 2.1 seconds for 103-100.

Utah took its last lead early in the fourth. Jackson scored on a driving floater at 5:24, and Markkanen made two free throws at 4:17 for 116-113.

Dončić answered 11 seconds later with a 24-foot step-back to tie it. He made two free throws at 3:34 for 118-116. Reaves was fouled on a three-point attempt at 3:02 and made all three. Dončić then hit a 28-footer at 2:22 and a 27-footer at 1:42, and Los Angeles led 127-121. Reaves put in a 25-foot three at 33.8 seconds, and Dončić closed the game at the line.

Dončić made 17 of 30 shots, 8 of 18 from three and 10 of 11 free throws. Reaves made 7 of 12, 4 of 5 from three and 11 of 13 free throws.

George finished with 24 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Bailey had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Markkanen scored 28 on 9 of 20 shooting, and Jackson 20. The attendance was 17,867.

Scoring

Scoring: Los Angeles 132-123 Utah

Los Angeles: Luka Dončić 52, Austin Reaves 29, Collin Sexton 13, Ziaire Williams 11, Matisse Thybulle 11, Sandro Mamukelashvili 9, Quentin Grimes 3, Walker Kessler 2, Kevon Looney 2, Jake LaRavia 0.

Utah: Lauri Markkanen 28, Keyonte George 24, Jaren Jackson Jr. 20, Ace Bailey 17, Jaxson Hayes 9, Darryn Peterson 8, Brice Sensabaugh 7, Isaiah Collier 6, Svi Mykhailiuk 2, Josh Okogie 2, Josh Green 0.

By quarter: Los Angeles 29, 45, 29, 29. Utah 47, 24, 29, 23.

What is next

Utah hosts the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, October 26 at 9 p.m. ET. The Lakers play at Portland on Tuesday, October 27 at 11 p.m. ET, then host the Clippers on Wednesday.

Both teams won on Friday: the Lakers beat the Clippers 125-117, and Utah beat New Orleans by a point. The rest of Sunday: Orlando beat the Knicks, and four teams moved to 3-0.