Luka, LeBron, Lakers Lambast Jazz
Feb 10, 2025, 11:59 PM
LeBron James #23 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on as John Collins #20 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – What was billed as must-see TV turned out to be a dud as the Luka Doncic and LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Utah Jazz 132-113.
The Jazz were led by John Collins and Lauri Markkanen who each scored 17 points in the loss.
Game Blog: Utah Jazz Fall Short, Lakers Strike Gold In Luka Doncic’s Debut
Jazz Look Overwhelmed By Luka, LeBron, Lakers
While a glance at the box score would imply the Lakers executed a basketball masterclass on Monday night, those who watched the game saw a less-than-inspired effort from the Jazz.
Five first quarter turnovers and a 2-9 three-point shooting performance allowed the Jazz to fall behind by double-digits early in the contest and never forced the Lakers to push Doncic to the limit after missing 22 games with a calf injury.
The newest Lakers superstar scored 14 points on 14 shots in his Los Angeles debut while James added 24 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.
Doncic played only 25 minutes, adding five rebounds and four assists to the stat sheet as he coasted through his Lakers debut.
Luka’s first Lakers bucket 💧 pic.twitter.com/TCzV8W0lmu
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 11, 2025
“I don’t think we’ve seen anywhere close to kind of the peak of those two playing together, and what that’s going to look like,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said.
The Jazz’s offensive was slow to make reads against a Lakers defense that was playing motivated, but lacks traditional high-level stoppers.
Defensively, they were slow to react to the Lakers’ ball movement and couldn’t end possessions allowing LA to grab 10 offensive rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the floor.
While the Jazz are tied for the second-fewest wins in the NBA, they’ve rarely been blown out wire-to-wire like they were in LA.
“I think it was a night where we let missing shots or not getting shots, or tough plays on that end bleed into our defense and our attention to detail,” Hardy added.
Perhaps the bright lights in Hollywood were too much for the young roster, or maybe it was exhaustion from playing the third game of a three-game road trip, but the Jazz failed to show up in one of their most highly anticipated games of the season.
Isaiah Collier Still Producing On Off Nights
Jazz rookie Isaiah Collier did not have his best game of the season.
The guard failed to dictate the pace the way he has in recent weeks, and his usual ability to get downhill and find his teammates was largely absent.
And yet he finished with 13 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds while shooting 6-12 from the floor and 1-3 from three.
Stats aren’t particularly important in a blowout, but Collier’s continued run of production has been impressive, and it’s putting him in the conversation for the best rookie point guard in Jazz history.
sixth double-double for the rook this season:
13 points & 10 assists#TakeNote | @isaiahcollier04 pic.twitter.com/xSrl01aZnZ— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 11, 2025
Over his last 15 outings, Collier is averaging over 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, something no other Jazz rookie has ever done.
He’s also shooting 46 percent from the floor, showing significant growth after shooting 32 percent in his 29 previous appearances.
The guard needs to improve his three-point shooting after connecting on just 26 percent of his deep balls during the stretch, but the rest of his game continues to show promise.
On its own, Collier’s double-double against the Lakers is nothing to celebrate, but when viewed alongside his recent production, there’s reason for excitement in the Jazz backcourt.
Utah Jazz Next Broadcast
The Jazz will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at 7 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
