Luka Drops 52 and Joins Kareem, the Champion Knicks Fall to 0-3 Like the 2011-12 Mavs, and Four Teams Stay Perfect

By Jordan Pierce, RF Sports Radio NBA voice

Hoop heads, Sunday had seven games, one historic scoring night from a guy Dallas fans know a little bit about, and a reigning champion that suddenly cannot win. Let me get you caught up.

The facts

Luka Doncic scored 52 points as the Lakers won 132-123 at Utah, per USA TODAY. He shot 17 of 30, made 8 of 18 threes and 10 of 11 free throws, with eight rebounds and 10 assists in 38 minutes. The Lakers trailed by as many as 18 in the first half. Doncic now has 10 career 50-point games, tied with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for 11th in NBA history. USA TODAY says he is the first Laker since 1963 to have 50 points and 10 assists in a game, joining Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, and the fastest Laker to 3,000 points, in 95 games. "When he's in the flow state, he gets into the showman mode," JJ Redick said. Austin Reaves added 29.

In New York, Franz Wagner scored 21 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter as Orlando beat the Knicks 111-102, per the AP. The Knicks led 86-76 with 9:20 left before the Magic closed on a 35-16 run. New York is 0-3 and, per the AP, the first defending champion to start 0-3 since the 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks. Jalen Brunson scored 28. Orlando lost Jalen Suggs to a knee injury in the fourth quarter.

Elsewhere, per Tip Off Live: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 as Oklahoma City beat the Clippers 108-101; Detroit beat Philadelphia 106-93; Memphis beat Sacramento 123-112 behind Ty Jerome's 31, despite Zach LaVine's 37; Indiana routed Brooklyn 136-109; and Minnesota beat Toronto 117-94. Detroit, Houston, the Lakers and Memphis are all 3-0.

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: I am not going to pretend it does not sting a little. Luka is doing Luka things in purple and gold, and he is doing them at a historic level. Tying Kareem in career 50-point games is ridiculous. Mavs fans can root for their own team and still admit that.

The Knicks note is my favorite stat of the young season. The last champion to start 0-3 was the Dallas team that won it all in 2011. The Knicks have time, but they have now blown a 10-point fourth-quarter lead at home.

And keep an eye on Memphis. Nobody had the Grizzlies at 3-0, and Ty Jerome is playing like a real starter.

My call: the Knicks win on Tuesday against Detroit and stop the bleeding, while the Lakers stay unbeaten this week. That is a prediction, not a report.

What to watch next

Knicks-Pistons on Tuesday, Suggs' injury update, and whether Luka can keep this pace. For Saturday's NBA takeaways, read Jordan's Oct. 25 column on Saturday's NBA slate, and follow the NBA page every morning.

Radio question: is Luka Doncic the best scorer in the NBA right now, or is it still too early in the season to say?

Sources: USA TODAY - Luka Doncic shoots Lakers past Jazz, sets new franchise record; ESPN / AP - Wagner, Magic use big fourth quarter to drop Knicks to 0-3 with 111-102 victory; Tip Off Live - NBA daily digest, Oct. 25, 2026; RealGM - NBA scoreboard, Oct. 25, 2026.