LeBron James opened his unprecedented 23rd NBA season with a vintage performance as a playmaker, and Luka Dončić poured in 37 points and 10 assists to power the Los Angeles Lakers past the Utah Jazz 140–126 on Tuesday night.
The 40-year-old James, returning after missing training camp and the Lakers’ first 14 games due to sciatica, logged 30 impressive minutes in his season debut. With his appearance, he officially passed Vince Carter and now stands alone as the only player in league history to play 23 seasons. After easing in, James took over as a facilitator in the second half, finishing with 11 points and 12 assists.
Dončić fueled the Lakers’ pullaway with a 17-point eruption in the third quarter, while Austin Reaves added 26 as Los Angeles (11–4) claimed its third straight win.
Utah’s young backcourt star Keyonte George, born 10 days after James’ NBA debut in 2003, matched his season high with 33 points, following up his heroic double-overtime game-winner Sunday. Lauri Markkanen posted 31 for the Jazz, who have dropped five of their last seven.
James went scoreless in his first 11 minutes before knocking down back-to-back threes, passing Reggie Miller for sixth place on the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers list. A driving layup in the third quarter extended his record streak of double-digit scoring games to 1,293, covering every appearance he has made since January 2007. That proved to be his final bucket, but the Lakers didn’t need more; they closed the third on a commanding 21–5 run to take control.
Utah hung 71 points in the first half behind George and Markkanen, but couldn’t keep pace after halftime. Late in the fourth, Bronny James checked in for the final 3:33 and drilled a corner three, drawing a roar from the crowd.
Up Next:
*Jazz: Host Oklahoma City on Friday.
Lakers: Return to Utah on Sunday.*
