They said LeBron James would cut into his fellow teammate, Luka Doncic’s scoring. Two games into LeBron’s return, that storyline already looks outdated. James has stepped back onto the floor as a steady, double-digit presence—but nothing about his comeback has slowed Luka’s blistering start to the season.

The 2025–26 campaign opened with Doncic dropping 40+, and he hasn’t taken his foot off the gas since. In Salt Lake City, while LeBron handled his first road outing of the year, Doncic stacked another 33 points onto the Lakers’ back-to-back 108–106 wins over the Jazz. And amid the scoring, he quietly delivered something even bigger: a milestone the league has never seen.

Through 12 games, Luka has compiled 414 points and 107 assists, making him the first player in NBA history to post 400+ points and 100+ assists through a dozen contests—an unprecedented blend of volume, efficiency, and orchestration.

Against Utah, he logged 40 minutes and flirted with yet another triple-double: 33 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals. It marked his fifth double-double in his last eight outings, further cementing what this season has made increasingly obvious: LeBron’s return didn’t limit him—if anything, it’s only spotlighted how unstoppable he’s become.

Ironically, this game against the Jazz was one of the relatively worst offenses the Lakers and Doncic have played this season. The team as a whole was 38-for-86 from the floor (44%) and 10-for-38 from beyond the arc (26%). In this game, Luka was 10-for-24 from the field, 3-12 from the arc and 10-for-12 from the free throw line. He missed a free throw in the last seconds of the game, but still managed to put the team up by two points to win.

When asked about it, Doncic was indifferent about it in the post-game presser. “I’m not worried about it,” he said and added, “we still find a way to win.” On this night, he set a personal record. Doncic’s focus remains laser-focused on his team.

Luka Doncic sets record straight on a career night

Sitting at the presser with his backpack on, Luka Doncic didn’t look like he was celebrating a personal accomplishment. The one positive, though, is having the full team back together with LeBron James and Gabe Vincent’s return. However, Deandre Ayton had to leave the game in the second half because of a knee contusion.

With LeBron’s return and the Lakers’ win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday, the team had a four-day break. The break seemingly translated into a poor shooting night for the team against the Jazz once more.

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Doncic seemingly rested out the contusions and didn’t practice. He himself admitted that the break didn’t have the desired effect.

“My legs were cooked. No rhythm, no nothing,” Doncic said. The 26-year-old had not touched a basketball the entire offseason when he was transforming into Luka 2.0. But this four-day break has thrown off the regular-season rhythm he built.

Playing in Utah or Denver introduces a unique variable that most NBA arenas can’t replicate: altitude. Both Salt Lake City and Denver sit thousands of feet above sea level, where the thinner air carries far less oxygen. For players not used to it, the difference hits fast.

Even elite athletes can feel heavier legs, quicker fatigue, and a faster heartbeat as their bodies work harder just to maintain their usual pace.

This environment creates a built-in edge for the Jazz and Nuggets. Their players train and compete in these conditions every day, giving them a natural acclimation that visiting teams simply don’t have.

Over four quarters, that familiarity translates into longer stretches of high-intensity play and a subtle—but very real—home-court advantage that’s become part of the identity for both franchises. Perhaps that could be a reason for Doncic not performing to his optimal standard.

It’s hard to say if the Utah Jazz’s misgivings contributed to Doncic’s records and the Lakers’ back-to-back wins. Both teams were evenly matched in rebounds, assists, points in the paint, and turnovers.

Moreover, fans were concerned that LeBron’s return would shave off Austin Reaves’ valuable minutes.

And without AR, Luka would be shorthanded in the backcourt. But neither bickering youngsters have seen a reduction in minutes, and Bron is just being Bron.

Luka’s last missed free throw might be a sign that the Lakers can’t get too comfortable in Doncic’s personal accomplishments or a narrow win unless they fix their shooting woes.