Utah Jazz Late Rally Comes Up Short In Loss To Lakers
Nov 23, 2025, 9:29 PM
Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey (19) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia (12) (Credit: Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News)(
(Credit: Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz comeback came up short in a dramatic 108-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Keyonte George’s potential game-winner rimmed out as the Jazz lost their 10th game in the last 13 outings.
George led the Jazz with 27 points and eight assists, while Luka Doncic led all scorers with 33.
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Utah Jazz Late Falls Short In Loss To Lakers
The Jazz nearly stole Sunday’s game with a furious rally after trailing by double digits late in the fourth quarter.
When Gabe Vincent buried a three-pointer with 3:33 remaining, the Lakers pushed their lead to 11. At that point, the Jazz could have packed it in and focused on Monday’s quick turnaround against the Golden State Warriors.
Instead, they delivered their best stretch of the night, outscoring the Lakers 12-3 over the final nine possessions.
Lauri Markkanen struggled for most of the game but came through late, scoring eight of his 20 points in the last 2:15 to keep the Jazz alive.
that 3️⃣➡️2️⃣3️⃣ connection is 𝚂𝚃𝚁𝙾𝙽𝙶#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/uyM3QYGJZ9
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 24, 2025
Ace Bailey also made a key impact, grabbing a clutch rebound and stealing the ball to extend the team’s chances.
“His ability to contest and use his length stands out,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “Ace is also an underrated rebounder. We knew we were going to need to get some stops down the stretch and finish it with a rebound.”
The rookie finished with 10 points, five rebounds, three assists, and a steal in nearly 32 minutes—the second-most of his career.
🗣️PUT THAT BACK, ROOK!!!!!#TakeNote | @AiriousB pic.twitter.com/PrQqV6usfQ
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 24, 2025
George carried the Jazz offensively all night, creating scoring opportunities while the rest of the roster struggled. But his biggest moment came on defense, forcing LeBron James into a missed three-pointer late.
“Guarding the best player to touch the basketball and get a stop down the stretch like that—obviously it shows the work that I put in,” George said.
The guard has scored in double figures in all 16 games this season, including four straight with at least 20.
The Jazz didn’t finish the comeback against the Lakers, but their late surge highlighted the growth of several key players, and hinted at future wins to come.
Cody Williams Sits In The Second Half
Cody Williams opened the season outside the rotation, but over the last five games, he had become a regular, averaging 18 minutes per contest heading into Sunday’s matchup.
Although Williams has struggled offensively—missing his last 14 three-point attempts—he has earned his minutes due to his defensive effort.
When he’s on the floor, the second-year forward often draws assignments against some of the NBA’s biggest stars, including Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Cody has given great effort, I think those are hard people to guard,” Hardy said. “The hope with Cody is that his combination of his length and his brain—that he can be a good on-ball defender at the point of attack.”
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In his first three games back in the lineup, the Jazz outscored opponents by 19 points with Williams on the floor, a strong plus-minus for the former lottery pick.
Recently, however, he has been on the court during several disastrous third quarters, including last Tuesday’s 37-22 stretch and Friday’s 43-20 collapse against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With the Jazz owning the NBA’s fourth-worst defense, Hardy has been searching for help and wants Williams to bring more physicality.
“I’d like for him to commit different types of fouls, if that makes sense, for him to be a little bit more aggressive going for the ball,” Hardy said. “But I think overall, his effort and understanding of the scheme has been really good.”
Against the Lakers, Williams recorded one foul while missing his only two field goal attempts in three first-half minutes. The Jazz were -9 with the 21-year-old on the court, and he never returned to the floor after halftime.
What Do the Jazz Want From Walt Clayton Jr. in the G League?
While Williams has reclaimed a spot in the rotation, rookie Walt Clayton Jr. has played only spot minutes in recent weeks.
He logged just one quarter over the Jazz’s last four games before being assigned to the Salt Lake City Stars for Saturday’s matchup with the Stockton Kings.
making defenders WALTz 🕺#ItStartsHere pic.twitter.com/6GZVXrFSEI
— Salt Lake City Stars (@slcstars) November 23, 2025
“The biggest difference for Walt is probably running pick and roll, where he’s not getting a ton of that with us, but he can get more of that with them,” Hardy said.
Clayton Jr. has played both on and off the ball for the Jazz but has mostly served as a floor spacer, rarely running pick-and-roll sets.
Against the Kings, he finally got that chance, finishing with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 30 minutes during a 139-132 win.
Next Utah Jazz Broadcast
The Jazz will travel to face the Golden State Warriors on Monday at 8 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.
