Luka Dončić 45 points vs Jazz (Dec 18, 2025): season-best Game Score
45 PTS · 14-of-28 FG · 4-of-12 3P · 13-of-16 FT · 39:36 MIN
Usual before this game: 34.5 PTS · 23.0 FGA · 37.3 MIN, from this season's 19 games plus last season's average, counted as 0.5 games
Best Game Score of 20 games this season: 46.9 against a usual 27.3 (+19.6)
above usual
No more than 2 in 100 games by players at this level finish this far above their usual.
For a player who plays every game, a game this far above the usual comes about once or twice a season.
How the score worksWhy did Luka Dončić score 45 points?
In 39:36 against the Jazz on Dec 18, 2025, Luka Dončić scored 45 points: 14-of-28 from the field (50.0%), 4-of-12 from three (33.3%), 13-of-16 on free throws (81.3%). Before this game, the usual line was 34.5 points on 23.0 shots in 37.3 minutes: this season's 19 games plus last season's average, counted as 0.5 games. This game had the best Game Score of 20 games this season. Shot attempts: 28, against a usual 23.0. The 50.0% from the field compares with a usual 46.0%. From two-pointers, 20 points against a usual 14.2; from free throws, 13 points against a usual 9.9; from threes, 12 points against a usual 10.4. Dončić played 39:36 against a usual 37.3 minutes; per 36 minutes the Game Score was 42.6, against a usual 26.4. Assists: 14, against a usual 8.8. The Lakers won 143-135 at the Jazz. The box score records what changed, not why: it holds no injury, matchup or coaching information.
Generated from the box score and this season's game log. How the score works
What changed
Dončić in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (blended) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 39:36 | 37.3 | +2.3 |
| Points | 45 | 34.5 | +10.5 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 28 · 50.0% | 23.0 · 46.0% | +5.0 · +4.0 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 12 · 33.3% | 10.7 · 32.5% | +1.3 · +0.8 |
| FTA · FT% | 16 · 81.3% | 12.2 · 81.1% | +3.8 · +0.2 |
| Rebounds | 11 | 8.7 | +2.3 |
| Assists | 14 | 8.8 | +5.2 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 4.3 | -3.3 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 19 games | 37.3 | 38.5 | -1.2 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 42.6 | 26.4 | +16.2 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (blended) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 12 (4-of-12) | 10.4 (3.5-of-10.7) | +1.6 |
| Twos | 20 (10-of-16) | 14.2 (7.1-of-12.3) | +5.8 |
| Free throws | 13 (13-of-16) | 9.9 (9.9-of-12.2) | +3.1 |
| Total | 45 | 34.5 | +10.5 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
46.9 against a usual 27.3 (+19.6)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +8.1 |
| Rebounds | +1.2 |
| Assists | +3.6 |
| Steals and blocks | +3.1 |
| Turnovers and fouls | +3.6 |
| Total | +19.6 |
Season so far
Regular season, in date order
Best Game Score of 20 games this season.
Previous best: 42.0, set on Oct 24, 2025.
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Lakers won 143-135 at the Jazz.
- Earlier regular-season meetings with the Jazz this season: 37 points (Nov 18, 2025), 33 points (Nov 23, 2025).
What this page cannot tell you
The same on every performance page
Box scores record what happened, not why: no injuries or health, defensive assignments, matchups, coaching decisions or play-by-play.
Game Score against the player's own usual line. How rare a gap is comes from NBA regular-season games of 2023-24 and 2024-25, checked on 2025-26.