Luka Doncic scores NBA season-high 52 points in the Lakers' victory over the Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 52 points, hitting eight 3-pointers, to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 132-123 victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday.

In the first 50-point game this season in the NBA, Doncic made several big baskets late in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers win for the eighth time in their last nine games against Utah. He finished off a 14-5 go-ahead run with back-to-back 3s that gave Los Angeles a 127-121 lead with 1:42 left.

Doncic also had 10 assists and seven rebounds. Austin Reaves added 29 points for the Lakers. The pair combined to shoot 21 of 24 on free throws.

Walker Kessler had only two points and seven rebounds in his first game back in Utah after being sent to Los Angeles in a sign-and-trade deal in July.

Lauri Markkanen scored 28 points to lead the Jazz, who blew an 18-point second-quarter lead.

Keyonte George had 24 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists for the Jazz. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 points while Ace Bailey chipped in 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Doncic hit a stepback 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds left in the half to give the Lakers their first lead at 74-71.

Lakers: Host Portland on Tuesday.

Jazz: Host Memphis on Monday.

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Los Angeles Lakers forward/guard Luka Dončić (77) looks to pass the ball as Utah Jazz forward/center Lauri Markkanen (23) blocks during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)

Utah Jazz guard Darryn Peterson (22) looks to shoot as Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler (14) blocks during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) dribbles around Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)

Los Angeles Lakers forward/guard Luka Dončić (77) looks to pass the ball around Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey (19) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)

Los Angeles Lakers forward/guard Luka Dončić (77) looks to shoots as Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey (19) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Bethany Baker)

Victory in Texas didn't just put Kimi Antonelli on the verge of winning the Formula 1 title. It gave an important signal he could repeat the feat next year.

In recent weeks, Antonelli and Mercedes had been struggling with a package of car upgrades that often seemed more like downgrades as Max Verstappen and Red Bull took advantage to win back-to-back races.

But Antonelli’s dominant win from pole position at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday showed he’s now confident of getting the best out of the car over a full race distance at a pace Red Bull and Ferrari largely couldn’t match.

“All this time putting so much work into bringing this new package and finally seeing the result is very pleasant,” he said.

In Singapore earlier this month, Antonelli said there was only a “very, very small” window of performance to unlock the new design's benefits before it became skittish and unpredictable.

Now the car is working as intended, he says there's more to come.

“In some places, I would say, still not as much as we expected, but in other places it is delivering very well,” Antonelli said. “We’re still struggling a little bit in low-speed with front locking, but overall, I feel like the package is finally starting to deliver.”

With much smaller regulation tweaks coming for 2027 compared with the sweeping changes implemented this year, what teams learn from late-season developments can have a direct benefit next year.

Only one of Mercedes' drivers is seeing the benefit. George Russell was at a loss for his “rubbish” pace as he finished eighth in Texas. A five-second penalty didn't help, but Russell told Sky Sports he was clueless about the rest of the yawning gap to Antonelli.

“Hopefully there are some answers somewhere but at the moment I don’t have them,” he said.

Russell has less experience with the upgrades after the team put him back on the old package in Singapore to make a side-by-side comparison.

Verstappen's still a threat after Red Bull developments made his set up more predictable, but the car is slow off the line at the start of the race and it's costing him. Verstappen started second alongside Antonelli but spent his first lap under attack from Charles Leclerc as Antonelli zoomed off into a lead that was never seriously under threat.

“The start definitely is something we’ve improved massively,” Antonelli said. “We were nowhere at the beginning of the season, and now we’re good, so that’s definitely one less thing to worry about.”

See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrates on the podium after winning the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy, center, celebrates after winning the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy steers his car during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race in Austin, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)