Slovenian Luka Dončić scored 52 points and led the Los Angeles Lakers to continue their perfect start by defeating their host, the Utah Jazz, 132-123, in the post-LeBron James era, as James suffered his first loss with his new team, the Philadelphia 76ers, against their guest, the Detroit Pistons, 93-106, in NBA games.
Following the departure of "King" James this summer to Philadelphia, Dončić has become the undisputed top star for the Lakers, delivering an exceptional performance that included, in addition to his scoring tally, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 8 successful three-pointers, and two steals.
Dončić (27 years old) received great support from his teammate Austin Reaves, who scored 29 points, allowing the visiting team to clinch the game in the final four minutes after trailing for long periods of the match.
A cohesive group
This is the first time this season that a player has scored 50 points or more, noting that Dončić topped the league's scoring list last season.
After achieving comfortable victories at the start of the season against the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers faced their first real test of the season in Salt Lake City.
The Utah Jazz controlled the first half, extending the lead at times to 18 points, thanks to the brilliant performance of Finnish player Lauri Markkanen (28 points).
However, the Lakers managed to come back, as Dončić hit a three-pointer a few seconds before the end of the second quarter, giving his team a slight lead at the end of the first half.
In the fourth quarter, the Utah Jazz regained the lead by a narrow margin about four minutes before the end, before Dončić succeeded in hitting another three-pointer to tie the score at 116-116.
Dončić and Reaves continued their offensive brilliance, outscoring the Utah Jazz players combined in the final quarter, leading the Lakers to a perfect start with an undefeated record of 3 consecutive wins.
Dončić added, "We are a cohesive group. I think all the new players felt very welcomed here, and that is exactly what we want."
At the same time, the 76ers, who had won their first three games, suffered a 13-point defeat against the Pistons in a game where 41-year-old James was limited to scoring 18 points.
The Pistons, who topped the Eastern Conference last season, imposed their control over the game from the start, extending the lead to 21 points during the second quarter.
Tyrese Maxey, the game's top scorer with 29 points, tried hard to bring the 76ers back into the game by scoring 18 points in the final quarter, but the visiting team managed to withstand the pressure to achieve their third consecutive win.
Third loss for the Knicks
The New York Knicks, the defending champions, suffered their third consecutive loss, falling to the Orlando Magic 102-111, despite Jalen Brunson's brilliance for the losing side with 28 points.
This is the worst start to a season for a defending champion since it happened to the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
Knicks coach Mike Brown said, "The truth is that allowing the opponent to score 40 points in the fourth quarter is extremely excessive... When you are not accurate with your shots, as is our case right now, you have to find other ways to win."
German Franz Wagner scored 21 of his 23 total points in the fourth quarter alone, leading Orlando to their first win of the season.
Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's MVP with the Oklahoma City Thunder, shone by scoring 34 points and leading them to a 108-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
However, this victory was marred by a serious injury to Jalen Williams, who suffered a horrific ankle sprain while driving to the basket, requiring him to be carried off the court on a stretcher.
Anthony Edwards established himself as the top scorer with 26 points in his team Minnesota Timberwolves' 117-94 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
This is the third consecutive win for the Timberwolves, who sit at the top of the Western Conference, tied with the Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Thunder, and Houston Rockets.
