Coming off a tough loss in Emirates NBA Cup group play against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers were offered the perfect bounce back spot as they hit the road to take on the struggling Utah Jazz.
The two teams met earlier during the 2024-25 season when the Lakers scraped by with a win, and their rematch was even closer as the purple and gold entered the game shorthanded. Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish were all ruled out, leaving head coach JJ Redick with an even shorter rotation than usual.
Despite the circumstances, Los Angeles was able to escape Utah with a 105-104 victory to get back into the win column.
Not many teams have been able to slow down Anthony Davis this season as he’s taken it upon himself to dominate the offensive side for the Lakers and he had another strong showing against the Jazz frontcourt. Despite dealing with the likes of Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen, Davis was able to get quality looks at the rim while also stepping out for a few jumpers.
It’s a great sign for L.A. when Davis’s jumper is falling and he helped the team hold on to their lead with some timely perimeter shots. As has been the case for most of the regular season, Davis led the Lakers in scoring. The star big man recorded 33 points on 13-of-25 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds, two steals and one block.
He was also one of the defenders on the final possession of the game when he, LeBron James and Christian Koloko ganged up on Collin Sexton to prevent his final shot attempt.
James had a tough time getting his jumper going throughout the evening, but he was still aggressive trying to get into the painted area late in the second half. He spent most of the game looking for teammates, racking up assists nearly every time down the floor.
Despite the relatively off shooting night, James still finished the game with a double-double of 27 points and 14 assists. However, he was cold from beyond the arc as he went 0-of-9 from distance.
Gabe Vincent drew the start at guard for Los Angeles and showed some signs of life offensively, contributing with a season-high of 10 points while Max Christie had 12 points and five rebounds off the bench.
What’s next for Lakers
Unfortunately, the Lakers don’t get much time to enjoy this win as they continue their road trip against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.
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